Alex Eala kicks off US stint with convincing victory

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Filipina lawn tennis sensation Alex Eala is off to a great start in the ongoing 2021 Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships in Florida, United States.

After a shaky performance during the $25,000 ITF pro tournament in Milovice, Czech Republic several weeks ago, Eala had a huge bounce back after sweeping American bet Charlotte Owensby, 6-2, 6-3, in her first game of the tournament.

Eala’s signature first spin service and her powerful baseline game were on full display and were too much to handle for Owensby.

Eala had a huge improvement from her performance last tournament in Czech Republic as she kept her unforced errors down and served consistently with fewer double faults.

Eala entered the prestigious tournament as the second-seed in the 18-under singles girls’ category and third in doubles together with partner Solana Sierra of Argentina.

The duo of Eala and Sierra will have the tough task of handling the American pair of Krystal Blanch and Madeleine Jessup as they take them on the first day of the doubles category today.

Meanwhile, Eala’s win in the singles category helped her advance to the tournament’s Round of 32 where she faces Kristyna Tomajkova of Czech Republic