Eala repeats against Owensby

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala kept her mastery of home bet Charlotte Owensby, 6-2, 6-3, in an auspicious start in the JA Plantation Orange Bowl junior championships at the Frank Veltri Tennis Center in Florida yesterday.

Eager to end the season on a high note, Eala scored a relatively easy win over her American rival following a similar straight-set triumph in the third round of the US Open last September.

This is Eala’s second event after taking an early exit in the W25 Milovice in Czech Republic in her return from a foot injury that sidelined her for two months.

Eala, the No. 2 seed in singles play, will face Kristyna Tomajkova of Czech Republic in the second round. She’s also seeing action in the doubles event.

The 16-year-old Filipina and her partner Solana Sierra of Argentina are ranked third marching into a first-round duel against the American pair of Krystal Blanch and Madeleine Jessup.

Eala will be shooting for her second Orange Bowl doubles title after winning the 2019 edition with Evialina Laskevich of Belarus.