ALEX Eala faces a formidable foe in sixth-seeded veteran Tatjana Maria of Germany as her opening round opponent today in the WTA Toyota Thailand Open in Hua Tin, Thailand.
With a one-day break after hurdling two successive qualifying round matches, including a 6-2, 7-5 win last Sunday over Belarussian Kristina Dmitruk last Sunday, Eala will need all her energy against Maria, who is ranked No. 63 in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings to the Filipina’s No. 213.
The main draw of 32 players of the tournament actually began yesterday.
Eala, 17, is up against a rival more than double her age in Maria, 35, whose best ranking was No. 46 and was a surprise semifinalist in last year’s Wimbledon Open women’s singles event. — Bong Pedralvez
