Alex Eala takes on Swedish foe to kick off Australian Open bid

Alex Eala will be pitted against a higher-ranked foe when the Filipina teen tennis ace opens her 2024 Australian Open campaign on Tuesday, January 9, in the first round of the qualifying draw,

The 18-year-old Eala will take on Sweden's Rebecca Peterson, who is 10 years older than the Philippine bet and is currently ranked 128th in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

They square off at around 7 a.m. (Manila time) with the winner advancing to the second round of the qualifiers.

Eala is hoping to have a better campaign this time around following a tough outing in the previous Australian Open edition last year, where she made her professional grand slam debut following years of competing in the juniors scene. 

Back then, she wasted a commanding lead to bow to Japanese opponent Misaki Doi, 4-6, 7- 6(1), 6-3, and make an early exit from the tourney.

Since then, though, Eala was able to bounce back in a number of competitions, including a pair of bronze medals in the prestigious Asian Games, where she finished third in women's singles and mixed doubles events.

Eala, a three-time junior Grand Slam titlist, also notched a career-high no. 185 ranking in the WTA.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News