Alex Eala Cruises Past French Opponent, Secures Round of 16 Spot in Sao Paulo

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by Raymund Tamayo

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala off to a great start at the Sao Paulo Open.
Filipina tennis star Alex Eala off to a great start at the Sao Paulo Open. Photo: Tennis365.

Alex Eala’s South American debut is off to a flying start! The 20-year-old Filipina tennis star wasted no time in making her presence felt at the Sao Paulo Open, crushing France’s Yasmine Mansouri, 6-0, 6-2, to advance to the Round of 16 on Wednesday morning (PH time).

The world No. 61 was all business from the get-go, reeling off nine straight games before Mansouri, ranked 380th, finally got on the board. By then, the momentum was fully on Eala’s side. Mansouri managed to steal one more game late in the second set, but Eala quickly slammed the door shut, wrapping up the match in just 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Speaking after her win, Eala couldn’t hide her excitement about competing in Brazil.

“This is my first time in Brazil, and actually my first time in South America, so I’m really happy to see how lively the crowd is,” she shared. “I didn’t expect so many people to watch me play. I guess I was lucky to be sandwiched between two great Brazilian players, but I’m just happy to be here and to have played well.”

Alex Eala.
Alex Eala. Photo: AFP.

The win comes on the heels of her historic title run in Guadalajara, where she bagged her first-ever WTA 125 championship — a breakthrough that boosted her confidence and shot her up the world rankings.

Up next, Eala faces another challenge in Argentina’s Julia Riera (World No. 188) on Thursday. With her aggressive style and newfound momentum, the Filipina ace will be gunning for a spot in the quarterfinals of this WTA 250 tournament.

France's Yasmine Mansouri.
France's Yasmine Mansouri. Photo: Facebook.

From Mexico to Brazil, Eala is proving she’s more than ready to make waves on the global stage. Each match she wins brings her closer to solidifying her place among tennis’ rising stars — and Filipino fans are here for every moment.