Tennis: Alex Eala to play Ukraine's Oliynykova in first round of Strasbourg Open

May 18 ------ Filipina tennis star Alex Eala will play Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova in the first round of the Internationaux de Strasbourg, a WTA 500 tournament.

Oliynykova, currently ranked No. 68 by the WTA, earned her spot in the main draw after beating Yulia Putintseva, 6-4, 6-4, in their final qualifying match. Eala will head into the Strasbourg Open with confidence after a strong run at the Italian Open in Rome last week.

The Filipina scored wins over Magdalena Fręch and Wang Xinyu before engaging two-time Grand Slam winner Elena Rybakina in a competitive showdown. Looking more comfortable on the clay court, Eala is now projected to break into the WTA Top 40. The 25-year-old Oliynykova, however, presents a different challenge compared to the players Eala faced in Rome. Ukrainian is known for her unorthodox style—mixing slices, looping moonballs, changes of height and pace, awkward spins, and relentless defensive scrambling.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com