Heavily regarded as an underdog, Alex Eala steps onto the Peña Vitorian Tenis Club with her back against the wall.
The 258th-ranked tennis player went toe-to-toe with former world no. 58 Romanian Jaqueline Adina Cristian, closing out the preliminary round of the Araba World Tennis Tour Femenino on Wednesday, July 19.
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Unwavered by the challenge that stood before her, the 18-year-old Filipina ace performed admirably during International Tennis Federation (ITF) Spain 15A’s round of 32 through three-extended sets, 7-6(5), 6-7(1), 6-2.
With the match spanning almost three hours, Eala continues to the singles’ round of 16 with 840th WTA (Women’s Tennis Association)/102nd ITF ranked Tianmi Mi across the court.
She is also scheduled for a doubles matchup later in the day with her Spanish partner, Marina Bassols Ribera, facing off against the Latvian-French duo of Diana Marcinkevica and Estelle Cascino in the tourney’s quarter-finals.
