Eala back in action, this time in Madrid

MANILA, Philippines — Aside from her goal of winning a second pro singles title, Filipina netter Alex Eala is out to weave her magic in doubles play anew when she teams up with ITF Juniors No. 1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra in the W25 Madrid in Spain.

The world juniors No. 3 Eala and Kasintseva, who zoomed to top spot from No. 2, will form a young but deadly tandem against a tough field made up of seasoned women’s pro players in the $25,000-event that runs until the weekend.

The 16-year-old Eala is coming off a magical French Open girls’ doubles championship run with Russian friend Oksana Selekhmeteva over the weekend and is hoping to carry the momentum to Madrid.

Kasintseva, champion of the 2020 Australian Open girls’ singles, also played at Roland Garros but fell short in the quarterfinals and semifinals of singles and doubles events, respectively.

Eala and Kasintseva, an unseeded tandem in Madrid, were scheduled to play the second-seeded duo of the United States’ Robin Anderson and Bulgaria’s Isabella Shinikova in the first round late last night.

In singles play, the WTA No. 630 Eala has been drawn to a first-round duel against veteran home bet Andrea Lazaro Garcia (WTA No. 272), who boasts five titles and almost 200 career matches under her belt.

Winner of two juniors Grand Slam crowns already, Eala, only in her second year in the women’s pro circuit, seeks to follow up her maiden championship in the W15 Manacor last January.

After her Madrid tilt, Eala is expected to bring her act to London next month for the return of the Wimbledon Championships following its cancellation last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.