BARELY a day after her Suzhou exit, Alex Eala wasted no time in moving on to greater challenges, as she enters the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open qualifiers.
The world No. 58 had endured three straight three-set battles in Suzhou 125 before finally bowing out to Viktorija Golubic, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7(0), on Friday.
READ: Alex Eala finally falters in three-setter in WTA 125 Suzhou
Quick to regroup, the Filipina shifted to another stop in China, joining the qualifying draw of the prestigious 1K event. From her end, this marks Eala’s first WTA 1000 appearance since the Canadian Open in July, when she made a first-round exit.
In the opening round of Wuhan qualifying, she is set to face Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, world No. 92, on Saturday, not before 5:30 p.m., Manila time.
Uchijima is also coming from Suzhou, where she fell in the opening round to Caroline Dolehide, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5).
Both players were Round of 64 finishers at the US Open last August. It will be their first career meeting on tour.
Eala, who has climbed as high as No. 56 in the WTA rankings, will be up against Uchijima, who owns a career-best of No. 47.
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