Alex Eala finally got her shot at Elena-Gabriela Ruse, but the redemption came with an asterisk.
The 21-year-old Filipina advanced to the next round of the Cincinnati Open after Romania’s Ruse retired with a right-foot injury, ending their rematch before Eala could deliver the decisive blow herself.
Eala was already well on her way. She score 6 points in a row in the opening set to serve Ruse a 6-1 breadstick, and led 3-0 in the second when rain suspended play. The match never resumed because Ruse pulled out.
It was hardly the revenge Eala might have scripted.
Two years ago, Ruse denied Eala a place in the US Open main draw, rallying from a set down to beat the then-19-year-old Filipina, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in qualifying.
That loss was particularly painful in a season when Eala, then ranked No. 144 in the world, went 0-for-4 in attempts to qualify for the main draw of the Grand Slams.
Fast-forward two years, and the roles have changed dramatically.
Eala has climbed to No. 20 in the WTA rankings and entered Cincinnati as the 17th seed in the WTA 1000 tournament. The event offers not only a lucrative payday but also valuable ranking points, with every step potentially improving her seeding and draw position at the US Open.
The Ruse match, however, was only the opening act.
Waiting in the next round is American World No. 10 and ninth seed Amanda Anisimova, who dispatched Turkish rising star Zeynep Sonmez, one of Eala’s closest friends on tour, 6-2, 6-3.
That makes the next hurdle considerably steeper.
Anisimova brings a top-10 ranking and Grand Slam experience to a draw already packed with potential land mines. For Eala, Cincinnati is less a smooth road to the US Open than a minefield of elite opposition.
Still, she has already cleared one obstacle.
And while Ruse did not give her the full redemption game, Eala’s scoreboard was making its own argument: whatever happened two years ago, this is not the same Alex Eala anymore.
