ALEX Eala found herself in a tough fight yesterday (Wednesday in the US) before pulling off a 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 win over gutsy American wildcard entry Dalayna Hewitt in the first round of the Rancho Santa Fe Open in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
A day after sealing a spot in the main draw with a breezy 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Alana Smith in the qualifying round, Eala gutted it out to pulling off the win over Hewitt in a match that lasted over an hour in the $80,000 (roughly P4.68 million) tournament organized by the International Tennis Federation.
The newly-minted US Open junior girls’ singles champion’s second-round foe today (Thursday in the US) will be a familiar one in Canadian Katherine Sebov, who bounced back in the first set to subdue compatriot Carol Zhao 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
Eala beat Sebov in the W60 Madrid women’s singles semifinals in Spain last June. — Bong Pedralvez
