By el Amigo
MANILA — Alex Eala moved into the third round of the Cincinnati Open after Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse was forced to retire because of a right foot injury during their second-round match early Sunday (Manila time) in Mason, Ohio.
Eala, the tournament’s No. 20-ranked player, was firmly in control when Ruse ended the contest, leading 6-1, 3-0 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The match was interrupted by lightning and heavy weather conditions while the two players were competing at Toney Trabert Stadium. During the suspension, Ruse received medical attention and had her right foot strapped before eventually deciding she could not continue.
The result sends Eala into the round of 32 of the WTA 1000 hardcourt tournament and adds another victory to her impressive run in recent weeks.
The 21-year-old Filipina has now won 11 of her last 13 matches, a stretch that includes her breakthrough victory at the DC Open two weeks ago, where she captured her first WTA Tour singles title.
Eala dictated much of the match against Ruse with aggressive returns and difficult serves. She broke the Romanian three times in the opening set before quickly establishing a 3-0 advantage with two breaks in the second.
Eala’s next challenge will be considerably tougher.
She is set to face American No. 10-ranked player and ninth seed Amanda Anisimova, who booked her place in the third round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez.
Anisimova said she has never faced Eala before but has been impressed by the Filipina’s breakthrough season.
“She’s been having such an incredible season, an incredible year,” Anisimova said after her victory, adding that she expects a lively atmosphere when the two meet.
The upcoming clash will give Eala another opportunity to test herself against a top-10 opponent as she continues her rapid rise on the WTA Tour.
After her title-winning campaign in Washington and a strong showing in Toronto, Eala has arrived in Cincinnati with growing confidence and momentum.
elamigo/xf
