Eala battles Spanish ace looking to shake off ‘stomach problems’
Alex Eala will enter her second-round match in the US Open looking to write more history for the country with a lot of things going for her.
She has momentum, the right mentality to take her deep into the tournament, and the backing of a crowd that makes her feel at home.
“I don’t have a home tournament so to be able to have this community here at the US Open. I’m so grateful that they made me feel like I’m home,” Eala said after her first-round 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) victory over Clara Tauson of Denmark early Monday morning (Manila time).
Her opponent, Spanish veteran Cristina Bucsa, will show up for the duel against Eala slated either late Wednesday evening or on Thursday (Manila time) hoping to shake off the effects of a stomach illness.
“During the warm-up, I didn’t feel well. I went to the locker room, showered, relaxed and tried to gather energy and strength for the match,” Bucsa told Spanish media outlet AS.com after beating American Claire Liu, 6-2, 6-1.
Bucsa flew into the tournament weighed down by “stomach problems” and practiced badly before facing Liu—and was surprised she stomped past the American with relative ease.
“I didn’t expect it to be like this, but rather a tough match, because she’s been playing here for three days, winning three matches, and I’ve won none. I was very surprised by her mentality and by her hunger to win ,” she said in Spanish. “It was very stressful; I won that match mentally,” Bucsa added.
Eala is looking to flash the same grit she flaunted in her opening match, where she fought out of a 1-5 deficit to frustrate the world No. 15.
“Definitely hard to see that or to see the positives when, you know, you’re down 5-1, but that’s what I tried to do,” the 20-year-old star said. “I tried to see the positives, find solutions. And obviously, you know, with all these people backing me up, it’s hard not to stay in the moment and get their energy.”
