THE Philippines’ Alexandra Eala will be in the qualifiers of the Eastbourne Open in Great Britain.
The 20-year-old Eala will seek a slot in the main draw of this WTA 250 event, after coming off a first-round loss to world no.31 Magda Linette in the Nottingham Open.
Eala, ranked no.77 in the world, is preparing for the Wimbledon Open. This will be part of her buildup.
And she believes that the level of her game needs to be better.
“My level is there and I show that at times, but there are certain reasons why these players are top 10 and I’m not there yet,” said Eala.
The tournament will have its 50th edition at Devonshire Park from June 23 to 28.
Last year, Daria Kasatkina won the tournament, when she beat Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinal, Jasmine Paolini in the semifinal and Leylah Fernandez in the final.
The WTA event is a 32-player singles’ draw tournament. Three players will gain entry thanks to a wildcard, while six spots are reserved for those playing in the qualifying event.
Kasatkina is currently no. 16 in the world will be the top seed.
The other seeds are Barbora Krejcikova (17), Jelena Ostapenko (19), Sofia Kenin (29), Magda Linette (31), Peyton Stearns (34), Raducanu (36) and Rebecca Sramkova (38).
Organizers are yet to confirm the wildcards for the tournament, while the qualifying draw is also still to be confirmed.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Krejcikova, Raducanu (2021 US Open winner), Sofia Kenin (2020 Australian Open champion) and Jelena Ostapenko (2017 French Open) are among those who have won a major.