Filipino tennis player Alexandra "Alex" Eala is gearing up for a quarterfinal match against Swiss star Belinda Bencic at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open. The showdown will take place on Sunday night at the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, with the match expected to start around 8:30 a.m. Manila time.
A Busy Tournament for Eala
Eala comes into this match after a demanding schedule, competing in her eighth match over the past 13 days, including a tough 2-hour and 39-minute third-round victory against Caty McNally.
I'm as tired as one can be at this stage. You can imagine, a lot of matches. But, you know, that's the job.
Alexandra Eala, Tennis Player
Despite tweaking her right ankle during the McNally match, Eala downplayed the injury, stating it isn’t a significant concern. The 25th seed expressed enthusiasm about facing Bencic, the 14th seed, who has an impressive resume including Olympic gold.
Eala's performance has drawn strong support from Filipino fans, filling the 12,500-seat arena. A notable presence has been a fan dressed in an inflatable blue dinosaur costume, who has become a quirky symbol of Eala's matches.
It was like such a light, funny spin to kind of, like, how people support me.
Alexandra Eala, Tennis Player
The winner of the Eala-Bencic match will advance to face either Coco Gauff or Alina Korneeva in the next round. Eala remains focused and ready to give her all on the court.