After winning her biggest purse in Wimbledon last week, Alex Eala will seek to get a higher ranking in the ITF W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain.
The 19-year-old Eala is now on a career-high 155 points after reaching the third qualifying round in the Wimbledon netfest early this month.
Eala is set to face Dutch netter Lia Tran in first round of the singles’ main draw of the $100,000 Spain tournament.
Earlier, Eala and French partner Estelle Cascino won in straight sets over Spanish teen sisters Carolina and Jimena Gomez, 6-3, 6-2, as they started their campaign in the doubles on Tuesday at the hard courts of the Peña Vitoriana Tenis Club.
Eala and Cascino took 56 minutes to get past the Gomez sisters and claim a seat in the quarterfinals.
They dominated the second set and quickly got to a 5-1 advantage after breaking the serves of the Gomezes.
The elder Carolina is a junior with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks in the US NCAA Division 1.
Eala’s world ranking has risen from 162 last month, to 155 this week.
While in Wimbledon, Eala picked up her biggest earnings of $40,000 (or P2.336 million) for reaching the third qualifying round, but later bowed to New Zealand’s Lulu Sun 7-6 (3), 7-5.
Eala first teamed up with the 28-year old Cascino last March, and they won the second doubles’ title of her pro career.
Back then, Eala and Cascino were an unseeded duo, who won the ITF W75 Open 3C de Seine et Marne in Croissy-Beaubourg, France.
