Alex Eala Powers Into Cincinnati’s Third Round
Alex Eala is through to the Cincinnati Open third round. In her tournament debut in Mason, Ohio, the Filipina was building a 3-0 lead in the second set when her opponent could not continue.
A Dominant Start, Then a Retirement
Eala broke Elena-Gabriela Ruse three times to take the first set 6-1 in 34 minutes, then broke twice more to open a 3-0 lead in the second. Ruse, ranked world No. 74, called a medical timeout for a right foot injury partway through the set. Play was later suspended for lightning, and when it did not resume, Ruse retired, sending Eala into the round of 32.
Even at One Apiece
The two players had met only once before, at the third qualifying round of the 2024 US Open, a match Ruse won. Sunday’s result levels their head to head record at 1-1.
How Eala Read the Finish
“I was playing well and feeling really focused,” Eala said after the match. “… A retirement is not the way you want to end a match, I wish her a speedy recovery.”
The Anisimova Test
Eala, seeded 17th, next faces ninth seeded Amanda Anisimova, the world No. 10, who beat Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 6-3 to reach the same round. The Filipina arrives at the match on a career high ranking of world No. 20, built on a Washington Open title and a fourth round finish at the Canadian Open.
