THERE is no way to go but up for the Filipina tennis rockstar.
Following a stellar campaign in Abu Dhabi, Alexandra “Alex” Eala soared to a new career-high rankings in both the singles and doubles of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) leading up to another tour stop in the nearby Doha City.
Ms. Eala reached No. 40 in the singles, up five rungs from No. 45 last week, while also breaking into the Top 100 at No. 99 in the doubles — thanks to a pair of deep runs in the stacked WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open.
It’s the second straight month of Ms. Eala’s steady rise in WTA ranks, climbing from No. 49 to start the year then No. 45 made possible by a productive stretch in Asia and the Pacific.
Her latest feat was a quarterfinal finish in the Abu Dhabi singles coupled by a doubles final four stint with “SEA-ster” Janice Tjen of Indonesia.
That run included a win against the super tandem of Cristina Bucsa (WTA doubles No. 22) and two-time Grand Slam champion Shuai Zhang of China (WTA No. 7), who just came off an Australian Open title run, to reach the semifinals.
Before that, Ms. Eala also made a quarterfinal finish in the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open, her first pro tournament at home, and had a final four stint in the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.
She also gained a few points in a first-round exit in the Australian Open, where she made her main draw debut to complete her appearance in the four majors after previous qualifications in the US Open, French Open and Wimbledon.
And albeit not counted in the WTA rankings, Ms. Eala bagged the exhibition title in the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.
At stake in Doha is at least 65 ranking points and $26,000 purse if Ms. Eala reaches the second round, possibly getting her to Top 30-35. She’d settle for 10 points and $18,300 with an early boot for a plateau at Top 40-45.
Ms. Eala enters a busier stretch after Doha, strutting her stuff back in the United Arab Emirates at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Feb. 15 to 21 and the Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open) on March 4 to 15 before a grand return in the Miami Open on March 17 to 29. — John Bryan Ulanday
