Eala returns vs unfancied foe in French tiff

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala hopes to get going early and impose her will against Helena Stevic as she resumes her ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour campaign in the W25 Macon at the Tennis Club de Macon’s indoor hard court in France Sunday.

Ranked No. 6 in the 32-player qualifying draw, Eala, with a WTA No. 528 ranking, should see no problem hurdling a rival toting a No. 1422 ranking although she must remain wary and ready for any tough challenge Stevic would bring.

The 16-year-old Eala fell short of her bid in the W60 Grenoble two weeks ago, blowing an impressive run from the qualifiers to the second round of the main draw. 

She led Chloe Paquet by a set and in the early going of the second but lost her rhythm and lost steam, enabling the local bet to pound out a come-from-behind 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory and barge into the quarterfinals.

But Eala expects to come out of that setback stronger and better, eyeing no less than a spot in the main draw of the first of two $25,000 events in France. 

The young Filipina is also set to compete in next week’s W25 Joue Les Tours.

A victory will line her up against another local entry, either Ines Nicault or Kelia Le Bihan, who will mix it up in the other match in the lower half of the draw for one of the eight slots up for grabs in the main draw, led by Russian top seed Vitalia Diatchenko and Swiss aces Ylena In-Albon and Susan Bandecchi.

Eala claimed her first pro win in the W15 Manacor in Spain last year, but the Rafa Nadal Academy Scholar has failed to earn a crack for another. 

She bowed right in the opening round of the W25 Manacor last month and squandered her chance against Paquet.