Alex Eala continued her winning ways in the 2022 US Open girls singles competition as she breezed through a dominant 6-2, 6-3 second round victory over Nina Vargova of Slovakia on Monday (Tuesday morning, Philippine time) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York City.
The 17-year-old Eala went to business early as she immediately broke Vargova’s serve twice to go up 3-1 in the opening set. Vargova finally held serve in the fifth game to narrow the gap to 2-3, but that was the closest Eala would allow her as the Filipina teen star pocketed the next three games to go up a set.
The second set appeared to follow the same script as the previous one. Eala raced to a 3-0 advantage after Vargova dropped her serve twice. The Slovak, however, summoned whatever fight was left in her when she broke Eala in the fifth and sixth game to tie the score at 3-3.
That proved to be Vargova’s last gasp as Eala closed out the set at 6-3.
Eala, seeded 10th in the competition, will face 8th seed Taylah Preston of Australia in the thirrd round. Another win will earn Eala a spot in the quarterfinals which will match her US Open juniors finish in 2021.
Tuesday will afford Eala a break from singles competition.
She, however, will be seeing action in the opening round of the girl’s doubles where she and 15-year-old partner Mirra Andreeva of Russia are seeded fourth in the tournament. They will be facing a pair of 14-year-olds, Iva Jovic and Shannon Lam of the United States.
