SECOND-seeded Alexandra “Alex” Eala reestablished dominance over world No. 187 Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands, 6-2, 6-2, for an exciting debut in the 2025 WTA125 Guadalajara Open on Wednesday in Mexico.
Riding high after a landmark US Open performance, the WTA No. 75 Ms. Eala surged to a 3-1 advantage in the opening set, then unleashed a 4-0 finishing burst in the second from a 2-2 deadlock to eliminate her 29-year-old opponent in just over an hour of action.
The 20-year-old Filipina sensation now boasts a 4-0 lead in their encounters since their first clash in 2023 when the latter triumphed 7-6, 2-6, 6-1 at the W25 Roehampton in Great Britain.
Ms. Eala subsequently mirrored this success in the W100 Bengaluru in India, 6-2, 6-1, and at the Workday Canberra International in Australia, 6-3, 6-3.
Next on the agenda for Ms. Eala is No. 122 Varvara Lepchenko of the United States on Thursday after also dispatching Maddison Inglis of Great Britain, 6-4, 6-1, in the other first-round encounter.
Ms. Eala, who is set to compete in Sao Paulo, Brazil next, recently emerged from a remarkable US Open journey highlighted by a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) upset against world No. 15 and 14th-seeded Clara Tauson.
She faced a setback in the Round of 64 with a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Cristina Bucsa of Spain, but this did not overshadow her achievement as the first-ever Filipina to capture victory in any Grand Slam main draw. — John Bryan Ulanday