Alex Eala climbs up WTA rankings after Italian Open win

Dubai: Alex Eala is poised to rise in the WTA rankings after securing a hard-fought three-set victory in her first match at the Italian Open.

In the opening round of the WTA 1000 event in Rome, Eala beat No. 45 Magdalena Frech in three sets, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4.

Heading into the Italian Open ranked No. 42, the 20-year-old gained 35 ranking points from her first-round victory at the Foro Italico, boosting her total to 1,310 points.

This result has propelled Eala up four spots to world No. 38 in the Live WTA Rankings.

Eala, who achieved a career-best ranking of No. 29 in March, could rise as high as No. 35 if she advances to the third round of the Italian Open in Rome.

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Before beginning her run in Rome, Eala said: “I haven’t played on many of the courts here, being that it’s only my second year.

“So, I hope by the end of this tournament, I would have played on a couple more.”

Eala’s victory over Magdalena Frech marked her first match since her second-round defeat to Elise Mertens at the Madrid Open last month.

The Filipina youngster opened her first round match in style cruising to a first set win in straight games.

Frech responded strongly after being blanked in the opening set and grabbed a 2-0 advantage in the decider, but impressively Eala fought back to level at 3-3, took a 5-4 edge, and closed out the match after two hours and seven minutes.

The WTA 1000 event in Rome marks Eala’s fourth tournament of the clay-court season and will likely be her final buildup before the French Open at Roland Garros later this month.

Eala will next take on Wang Xinyu in the second round on Friday. The Chinese player, seeded 31st in the tournament, advanced directly after receiving a first-round bye.