Alex Eala began her Washington Open campaign in brilliant fashion by defeating Qinwen Zheng in three sets to confirm her place in the second round.
The Filipina star was a set and a break down, but her mental fortitude once against shone through as she managed to topple the Grand Slam finalist 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
The 21-year-old will next play Leylah Fernandez for the second time in her career, following her defeat to the Canadian at the Stuttgart Open earlier this year.
Eala is currently only the World No 28, but she had been provided further proof that she is one of the most popular players on the WTA Tour.
Mark Ein, the head of the Washington Open, has revealed how the rising star has shifted tickets at the tournament this year.
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“I will say, over the last month the ticketing team says at least 80%, if not more, of the requests in this tournament are about when is Alex Eala playing,” said tournament director Mark Ein.
“Honestly, I think it’s more, and they just didn’t want to say it was more, but they’re, like, virtually all. It’s not an exaggeration. That’s actually what they tell me.
“When you look at the amazing players here and how many great stars there are, it says something about Alex’s following. Obviously she’s been an icon, become an icon in the Philippines, but worldwide. So there’s obviously Filipinos everywhere.
“I will say, earlier this year in the early spring our team said, this is a phenomenon that’s spreading, and we should try to get Alex to come to Washington. Having her here is honestly one of the really great things that’s already happened this year.”
Eala was told the fact by The Tennis Channel’s Bret Haber following her victory against Zheng and she offered a quick response to the statistic.
“Wow, that’s amazing! responded the 21-year-old Filipina star.
Eala has proved a hit all over the world so far this season. Her adoring fans have packed-out her matches at the Australian Open, where queues drifted well outside the stadium.
She was also the most popular star during the Middle Eastern swing, particularly at the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Abu Dhabi Open, and that passion has transferred over to the United States and Europe too.
The Wimbledon crowd warmed to her on her run to the fourth round this year, which included a brilliant victory against Iga Swiatek, and the Washington Open crowd where in her favour during her first round match against Zheng.
