MARCHING onto her second and last WTA 1000 event before the US Open, Alex Eala earned her highest seeding at the level yet, drawing the No. 17 seed at the Cincinnati Open.
The world No. 20 Filipina heads back to the U.S. for her third stop of the North American hard-court swing, fresh from a Round of 16 finish at the National Bank Open in Toronto and a WTA 500 title run in Washington.
Eala earned a first-round bye and will await the winner between Magda Linette and Elena Ruse for her second-round matchup.
Should the higher seeds all advance, Eala could face Amanda Anisimova, Daria Kasatkina, and her best friend Zeynep Sonmez in the third round.
A potential fourth-round clash could come against Clara Tauson or Linda Noskova.
In the quarterfinals, Eala could find herself up against Jessica Pegula or Sorana Cirstea, before a loaded semifinal path featuring Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, or Belinda Bencic.
Waiting in the final could be a star-studded field led by Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, Mirra Andreeva, or Marta Kostyuk.
That is, of course, if they all survive their earlier rounds.
The masters runs from August 12 to 18.
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