On Sunday, Alex Ela claimed that 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) won the first round of the US Open with 14th seed Clara Towson.
By doing so, she became the first player in the Philippines and made history by winning a single main draw match in the tennis Grand Slam tournament.
With one victory, the 20-year-old captivated the entire country.
So when will she act? And who is getting in her way?
This is everything you need to know.
How she came here
Ira has pulled away the almighty upset with her victory over Towson, who is currently in impressive 16th place in the WTA rankings.
Compared to Ira, who has yet to claim a tournament victory, Towson has three titles in her name.
What was noteworthy about Ira’s victory is the fact that she was 5-1 down in the deciding set, but refused to give in, won by a tie break, and refused to fight to write herself in a history book.
Who will she face next?
Ira’s reward for her important victory is a second round meeting with Spain’s Christina Bucca.
On paper, this is an easier test for EALA, considering he sits in 20 places above the 95th doubles specialist in the rankings.
Nevertheless, Ira realizes she won’t underestimate her upcoming opponent as she was hit in the second round in a dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over America’s Claire Liu.
Bucșa also demonstrated the ability to see formidable opposition earlier this year when he defeated 2021 US Open champion Emaradukanu in a three-hour marathon battle at the first Singapore Tennis Open.
At previous meetings, Ira defeated 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) at Grenoble in 2021.
If Ira wins Boukua, she will meet either 19th seed Elise Mertens or New Zealand’s Lulu San in the third round. A potential fourth round opponent is No. 1 rank Aryna Sabalenka.
When will EALA work?
Once the first round is over on Tuesday, EALA’s meeting with Bucșa is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
The 4th day play order has not been released yet. Details of EALA’s next game will be updated as Wednesday’s schedule is finalized.
