WITH the 2025 US Open marking her return from a three-week injury break, Alex Eala now shifts focus to another hardcourt campaign at the WTA 125 Guadalajara in Mexico.
The 20-year-old Filipino, seeded second in the tournament, opens against the Netherland's Arianne Hartono, who she has beaten in all three of their previous meetings.
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Eala, ranked No. 75 by the WTA, defeated the world No. 158 twice this year: in Bengaluru, India (6-2, 6-1), and in Canberra, Australia (6-3, 6-3).
Their first encounter came in 2023 at Roehampton in Great Britain, where Eala overcame the then-higher-ranked Dutchwoman in three sets, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.
The Filipina went to Guadalajara fresh from a career-best second-round finish at the US Open, where she bowed to Cristina Bucsa, 4-6, 4-6, earlier this week.
Hartono, 29, last competed at the WTT W100 in Landisville, Pennsylvania, in August, where she fell to Mary Stoiana, 3-6, 2-6, in the round of 16.
Their Guadalajara match is scheduled for early Wednesday morning, around midnight Manila time.
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