Alex Eala from the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of ULISES RUIZ/AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala defeated Austria’s Sinja Kraus 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday at the Canberra Tennis Center to qualify for the Women’s Tennis Association 125 Workday Canberra International Round of 16.
It took Ila an hour and 20 minutes to defeat world No. 211 Kraus and end 2024 with a victory.
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Read: Alex Ila ‘excited’ to chase more goals in 2025 –
“Let’s end 2024 on a high! A good win today and a place in the round of 16 here in Canberra. 2025 is here!” Ira wrote on Instagram after the match.
Ila, ranked 147th in the world, will play Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands for a spot in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, New Year’s Day, at 10:50 p.m.
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The 19-year-old Filipino player defeated Catherine Auria 6-1, 6-2 in the preliminary round to qualify for the main event.
Read: Alex Ila soars to career highs in singles and doubles rankings
She bounced back from a lethargic start in Monday’s final qualifying match to beat home-bound Alana Subasic 5-7, 6-0, 6-1.
Ila was scheduled to play Japan’s Sayaka Ishi in her first doubles match on the Canberra tour, but her matches against Marina Stakusic (Canada) and Elsa Jacquemot (France) have been cancelled.
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