Manila: Alexandra Eala defeated Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova, 6-1, 6-4, to advance to the third round of the US Open at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York. The No. 17 seed from the Philippines needed just 64 minutes to secure her victory against Oliynykova, who previously bested her in the third round at Strasbourg on May 18.
According to Philippines News Agency, Eala expressed satisfaction with her performance, emphasizing her patience and focus as key factors in her win. "I was pleased with my patience and my consistency of focus. That was the key to winning the match," she stated during an on-court interview. Eala is set to face the winner of the match between No. 14 seed American Iva Jovic and unseeded British player Francesca Jones in the next round.
In her tournament opener, Eala triumphed over American qualifier Mary Stoiana with a score of 6-1, 6-2. Her debut at the US Open last year saw her defeating Danish player Carla Tauson in the first round before succumbing to Spanish competitor Cristina Bucsa in the subsequent round.
Eala's recent achievements include winning the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open on August 3, marking her second singles title after her victory at the Guadalajara 125 Open in Zapopan, Mexico. She is also the reigning Southeast Asian Games champion and is scheduled to compete in the 20th Asian Games from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
