Alex Eala moved into the next round of the Cincinnati Open, but not the way she wanted. Her second-round opponent, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, had to stop playing because of a foot injury. Eala was leading 6-1, 3-0 at the time. She had lost her first service game, then won six games in a row to take the first set before Ruse retired.
The win sets up a new challenge for Eala. She will now play Amanda Anisimova, another Top 10 player, on Monday in Manila. It will be their first time facing each other. The winner will play Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who takes on Clara Tauson of Denmark (a player Eala has beaten before) in the third round.
Eala, 21, has already beaten eight Top 10 players this season. That list includes Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon and Jessica Pegula, whom she beat to win her first WTA title in Washington DC two weeks ago.
“I think that I was playing well, I think I felt the ball good, was really focused and tried to keep myself in the zone,” Eala said. This win came after her first loss in nine matches, to Belinda Bencic in Toronto last week.
She also wished Ruse well. “Nobody likes to finish a match with a retirement. I just want to wish Gabriela-Ruse a speedy recovery.”
Anisimova, ranked No. 9 in the world and seeded 10th in Cincinnati, also won her match easily, beating Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 6-3. She said she is excited to play Eala for the first time. “She’s been having such an incredible season… a very great player with a lot of fans.”
Djokovic loses early
While the women’s rising stars moved forward, tennis legend Novak Djokovic lost early. This might be his last time playing in Cincinnati.
Djokovic, who has won 24 major titles, lost to Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, in a match that lasted almost three hours in hot weather.
Djokovic, ranked No. 5 and a three-time Cincinnati champion, said the heat and humidity are hard on him because of a health issue he has had for years. This ended his 10-match winning streak in Cincinnati.
He said he isn’t sure if he will play in Cincinnati again. “I certainly hope so, but it looks more likely not, unfortunately. But let’s see what the future brings.”
Djokovic’s next event is the US Open, which begins August 30 in New York.
