Alex Eala improves WTA ranking ahead of Italian Open

Alex Eala (Italian Open)

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala got a big boost before joining the prestigious Italian open this week as she improved two notches for the No. 42 spot in the latest WTA rankings.

Eala, 20, jumped two rungs despite her quick exit in the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open in Spain.

There, the 5-foot-9 lefty reached Round of 64 of the singles event where she bowed to Belgian Elise Mertens, 6-2, 6-1, before she and her Turkish partner Zeynep Sonmez yielded to Grand Slam champion pair Czech Kateřina Siniaková and American Taylor Townsend, 1-6, 5-7, in Round of 16.

With 1,285 points, she remained as one of the high-ranking players from Asia.

Eala begged off from the WTA 125 Catalonia Open to focus on her buildup where she trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy

The WTA 1000 Italian Open is slated May 5 to 17 in Rome.

The charming netter is up for a daunting task against a field bannered by reigning champion and hometown bet Jasmine Paolini, world No. 1 Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Kazakh No. 2 Elena Rybakina, No. 3 Polish Iga Swiatek, and No. 4 American and last year’s bridesmaid Coco Gauff, to list a few. — Mark Rey Montejo

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