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Alex Eala at the WTA Thailand Open. – THAILAND OPEN
MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala advanced to the main draw of the Thailand Open as he swept Kristina Dmitruk of Belarus, 6-2, 7-5, in the second round of qualifying on Sunday at the True Arena in Hua Hin.
After winning a dominant first set, 17-year-old Eala showed grace under pressure in the second set when Dmitruk, seeded ninth, would force a decider with a 6-5 lead.
But the Filipino prodigy won through two consecutive games to close the final qualifying round in the 77th minute.
Eala, who recently climbed to a career-best ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association as No. 214 in the world, entering the main round of the $250,000 tournament.
The Thailand Open, which starts on Monday and ends on February 5, features the best female netters in the world, led by the top seeds. Bianca Andreescu from Canada.
This will be her third main draw appearance at a WTA tournament as the US Open women’s singles champion reached the second round of the WTA Winners Open in Romania and the Miami Open last year.
Academy scholar Rafael Nadal made an early exit in the 2023 Australian Open qualifiers with his first Grand Slam appearance as a pro ended by Japan’s Misaki Doi in early January.
The Thailand Open is Eala’s fifth WTA event, including a qualifying draw appearance at 2021 Miami Open and last year’s Madrid Open in Spain.
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