Undaunted by her recent loss, Filipina tennis superstar Alex Eala is eyeing victory in the prestigious 2021 French Open juniors tournament beginning June 6.
Eala has been in the main draw of the Roland Garros girls’ singles event as No. 3 player in the ITF Juniors and is looking to win after her loss in the Final Four last yea, where she suffered a first-round exit in the girls’ doubles play with American partner Elvina Kalieva.
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She had lost 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals to home bet Elsa Jacquemot, who won the 2020 French Open and gained No. 1 spot in the ITF girls’ singles rankings.
Eala, who turned 16 last Sunday, is aiming at adding Roland Garros to her juniors grand slam collection after winning the 2020 Australian Open girls’ doubles with Indonesian pal Priska Madelyn Nugroho.
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It also highlights her return to juniors play after a string of pro tilts highlighted by a maiden women’s singles title in the W15 Manacor last January and a finals appearance in the W25 Platja D’Aro doubles event over the weekend.
Eala and her Russian partner Oksana Selekhmeteva had lost in the finale against Lithuania’s Justina Mikulskyte and Romania’s Oana Georgeta Simon, 6-3, 7-5. Despite exiting early in the singles match, Eala’s impressive game ensured her slight rise in the WTA rankings at No. 661 from No. 662 prior to the Platja D’Aro tourney. (AW)
