The world of tennis wants Alex Eala to make deep runs at tournaments. That was clear by how the Canadian Open scheduled her matches. She often finished off every day when she played, as the tournament was hoping fans would come early, stay late, and spend lots of money.
The Cincinnati Open is unlikely to take the same approach. The Ohio 1000 event is a better-run one than the one that took place in Toronto this year, and it understands that nuance and moving players around is better for all involved. The question for Eala, though, is how long she will last in the tournament.
The draw for the event was announced on Tuesday, and Eala's potential path to the final is brutal. She will get a bye in the first round, as she currently has a high enough ranking (she is No. 20) to allow her to get a bit of a break.
Path to the Cincinnati Open final is brutal for Alex Eala
In the second round, she will face the winner of the Magda Linette and Elena-Gabriela Ruse match. The Filipina will be favored over either of those players, especially as she is playing in top form after having won the Citi Open before being bounced out in the fourth round in Canada.
In the third round, though, things begin to tick up a great deal. Eala will likely face Amanda Anisimova, the 10th-ranked player who has reached the finals of two Grand Slams. On a hard court, Anisimova's power is at its best, and she could overpower Eala.
That is especially true if the Filipina doesn't do a better job with her serve. Her first serve isn't a strength, and her second serve is slower. She does a solid job of spinning it in, and an unprepared player can have difficulty returning it. That probably won't be a problem for the American.
Should Eala reach the fourth round, the WTA No. 20 could take on Linda Noskova, who won Wimbledon this year. The players have met twice before, and Noskova has dominated both matches. In fact, Eala has only won a total of eight games combined.
After Noskova, Alexandra Eala could face Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals, but Eala just defeated the American in the Citi Open final. She would certainly have enough confidence that she can do so again.
In the semifinals, Eala could play Elena Rybakina. The two have split their two meetings, with the Filipina winning the most recent one in straight sets on the grass courts of the Berlin Open.
After Rybakina, if Eala reaches the final, she could play WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The two have never met, but Sabalenka's power might be too much for the Filipina.
Add us as a preferred source on Google