Eala earns bye in US Open girls’ singles, doubles

MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala is through to the next phase of both the girls’ singles and doubles play at the US Open juniors championships after earning a first-round bye.

Seeded second in the singles, Eala will play straight in the second round either Tuesday or Wednesday against the winner between Thailand’s Pimrada Jattavapornvanit and USA’s Charlotte Owensby.

It will then be a juggling act from there for Eala, who has teamed up with Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel in the girls’ doubles tilt.

Eala and Vandewinkel likewise have gained a first-round bye. They will play in the second round against the winner between the duos of Michaela Laki-Radka Zelnickova and Tatum Evans-Amelia Honer.

The 16-year-old Filipina ace is shooting for her first singles and third overall Grand Slam after bagging two doubles crowns in the Australian Open and the French Open.

Eala won the Australian Open last year with Indonesian pal Priska Madelyn Nugroho before ruling the French Open earlier this year with Russian friend Oksana Selekhmeteva.

She is among the heavy favorites in the US Open being also the No. 2 player in the world junior rankings apart from securing the tournament second seed behind No. 1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra.

Eala exited early in the Wimbledon two months ago but made up for it with twin titles in Milan to bolster her preparations for the US Open running until this weekend in New York.