MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis player Alex Eala will face Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the round of 128 of the Italian Open on Wednesday (Manila time) as she begins her campaign in the Rome-based tournament.
Eala, ranked No. 42 in the Women’s Tennis Association standings, will need to advance past Frech to move deeper into the draw. Frech currently holds the No. 45 ranking and reached a career-high of No. 22 in October last year.
If Eala progresses, she could face China’s Wang Xinyu, who received a first-round bye. Wang defeated Eala in the semifinals of the ASB Classic in January.
A potential matchup against world No. 2 Elena Rybakina could come as early as the round of 32, depending on results in earlier rounds.
Eala enters the tournament following a second-round loss to Elise Mertens at the Madrid Open on April 24, where she lost 6-2, 6-1.
She withdrew from a scheduled WTA 125 event in Catalonia to focus on preparations for the Italian Open and trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain ahead of the tournament.
