Alex Eala faces world No. 95 Bucsa in US Open second round

August 27 ------ Alex Eala may have cleared a major hurdle in the opening round of her US Open campaign, but tougher challenges lie ahead as she pushes forward in her most ambitious Grand Slam run yet. Fresh off a stunning upset over world No. 14 Clara Tauson for her breakthrough Grand Slam victory, the Filipina tennis sensation is set to face unseeded Cristina Bucsa in the second round on Wednesday, Aug. 27 (Philippine time). Bucsa, a Moldovan-born

Spaniard currently ranked No. 95 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings -- 20 spots below Eala -- cruised past American Claire Lu, 6-2, 6-1, to earn her spot in the next round. This won’t be the first meeting between Eala and Bucsa. Back in 2021, a then-rising Eala shocked the seventh-seeded Bucsa in the Round of 16 at the $25,000 International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Grenoble, France. Eala’s run ended in the quarterfinals. But a lot has changed over the past four years. Bucsa broke into the WTA Top 100 in 2023, earning direct entries into Grand Slam events. Her best singles finish at the majors includes reaching the third round at the 2023 Australian Open and Wimbledon a few months ago, while also making a quarterfinal appearance in doubles at the 2024 Australian Open.

Eala, meanwhile, is enjoying the best stretch of her young career. The 20-year-old made headlines with a semifinal finish at the Miami Open last March, notching upset wins over Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek. She followed that up with a runner-up finish at the Lexus Eastbourne Open in June. Despite holding the edge on paper, Eala isn’t underestimating Bucsa’s experience and ability to stage upsets, noting the Spaniard’s past successes on the tour.

In fact, Bucsa reached a career-high No. 56 in the WTA singles last January. A win over Bucsa could set up a third-round clash against the winner between world No. 21 Elise Mertens and Lulu Sun. Further down the draw, a potential showdown with world No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka looms -- if both players advance through the following rounds.

Source: mb.com.ph