Alex Eala excited for Cincinnati Open debut, eyes valuable US Open preparation

Alexandra “Alex” Eala said she is excited to make her Cincinnati Open debut and hopes to gain valuable preparation for the upcoming US Open.

Eala is set to begin her campaign in Cincinnati against Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the Round of 64.

“Yes, I am super excited to be here in Cincinnati for the first time. Hopefully the weather will get better as time goes by, but I think the facility is amazing,” Eala said during a press conference on Thursday (Friday, Philippine time).

With the US Open also approaching, Eala hopes the WTA 1000 event will provide meaningful preparation, whether through the number of matches she plays or the quality and variety of her opponents.

“Momentum is a thing, I guess, but it's not concrete and it doesn't give you any hundred percent answers, right? So momentum can help. A lot of matches can help with your confidence, but it doesn't guarantee anything,” she said when asked about carrying momentum from Cincinnati into New York.

“I think it's just the level that I play. And of course, the more matches, the merrier, right? But it's the matches of substance and it's the ones that — did I execute what I want to execute? Did I bring the level that I wanted to bring? So if I lose first round, but it's a really good match, not to say that it's a successful week, but it wasn't a bad one. And if I reached the final, then I'll take that too.”

Eala has been enjoying a strong season, winning her second WTA 125 title in Birmingham before capturing her first WTA title in Washington, D.C.

—JKC, GMA News