RANGED against a very familiar foe, Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala proved too much, dominating Swiss qualifier Valentina Ryser to advance to the quarterfinal round of the Lexus Ilkley Open in Great Britain on Thursday, June 12.

Eala, the tournament’s top seed, was superb in the 68-minute match, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 victory to keep alive her bid for a breakthrough Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title.

Eala improved to 2-1 against Ryser as she avenged her three-set loss in their last tussle in the W75 Trnava International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Slovakia just last March.

Eala and Ryser figured in a 1-all standoff but the 20-year-old Filipino tennis star started to impose herself, winning the next five games to take the first set.

Ryser didn’t give up easily, forcing a 2-all tie in the second set but Eala could not be denied, delivering the finishing touches by winning the next four games, sealing the victory by Ryser’s serve in the fifth game.

Eala, ranked No. 77 in the world, will next face eighth seed Rebecca Marino of Canada.

Marino clinched her own quarterfinal ticket by beating local bet Emily Appleton in the second round, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.(CCM)

• Tags
• #Alex Eala
• #Valentina Ryser
• #Lexus IIkley Open
• #Great Britain
• #Women’s Title Association
• #W75 Trnava International Tennis Federation