Alexandra Eala’s potential opponents for the first round of her Qatar Open match have now been finalised, narrowed down to just eight stars.
Having earned a direct entry into the main draw, the subsequent draw to decide where the seeds would sit in the bracket could have been cruel to Alexandra Eala.
Alas, her opener seems, on paper, to be easier, as she will face a qualifier.
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Qualifying in Qatar is still ongoing, but after another round of fixtures today, the 20-year-old now knows the eight potential players it could be.
Alexandra Eala’s potential round one opponents at the Qatar Open
It has been a day of upsets in the Qatar Open qualifiers thus far, with six seeded players falling, including the number two seed.
That therefore leaves a handful of lesser-known players in the draw, although there are still some stars hoping to secure their spot in the main draw.
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Sonay Kartal is one of the standout names amongst them, who beat Kimberly Birrell in straight sets today.
Also, Alycia Parks gained an impressive win over Solana Sierra and moves one step closer to another showdown with Eala after knocking her out of the Australian Open.
Other names include Camila Osorio, Varvara Gracheva, Vera Zvonareva, Moyuka Uchijima and Anastasia Zakharova, with the top seed Tereza Valentova surviving a scare as she came from behind to win.
Beyond this first round, Eala has been dealt a difficult Qatar Open draw, with two Grand Slam finalists awaiting her.
It has since been confirmed that Eala will face Valentova in the first round.
Alexandra Eala’s landmark moment at the Qatar Open
Regardless of how she performs at the Qatar Open, Eala will be able to leave this part of the world with her head held high.
After all, she has hit a career-first landmark once again, which stands as sparkling proof of her hard work over the last year and beyond.
The Filipina superstar has gained direct entry into the main draw of a Masters 1000 event based solely on her ranking for the first time.
Any previous appearances have been through wildcards, including her mesmeric run at the Miami Open around this time last year, which catapulted her to fame.
Hopefully, Eala can capitalise on this landmark with another solid run at a tournament of this magnitude.
