Eala clashes with familiar foe Hartono at Guadalajara opener

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA faces a familiar foe in Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands for the fourth time in Round 1 of the 2025 Guadalajara Open in Mexico.

Ms. Eala, 20, holds a 3-0 head-to-head advantage over the 29-year-old Dutch, including two wins this year alone to loom as the heavy favorite in the opener of the $125,000-tourney tentatively set at 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday (Manila time).

The Filipina pride also boasts a higher ranking at No. 70 according to the live updates of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) pending the completion of the US Open compared to Ms. Hartono at No. 187.

Ms. Eala first beat the then higher-ranked and more seasoned Ms. Hartono in the 2023 W25 Roehampton in Great Britain, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.

She re-asserted mastery of the Dutch veteran this year with wins in the W100 Bengaluru in India, 6-2, 6-1, and in the Workday Canberra International in Australia, 6-3, 6-3.

Ms. Eala is coming off a breakthrough feat in the US Open marked by a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) stunner of world No. 15 and 14th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark to become the first Filipina winner in any Grand Slam main draw.

She then bowed out of contention in the Round of 64 with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Cristina Bucsa of Spain.

With the US Open serving as the final Slam this year, Ms. Eala will focus on the WTA Tour in a bid to crack the Top 50 rankings and win her first pro title this season with stints in the Sao Paulo Open next week and in Asia next.

Hopes are high for Ms. Eala to also represent the country again in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games this December in Thailand after winning three bronze medals in the 2022 Hanoi games. — John Bryan Ulanday