Top seed Alex Eala kicked off her Ilkley Open campaign with a hard-fought win over Filipino-Australian Lizette Cabrera in the Round of 32 on Wednesday in Northern England.
Eala edged Cabrera, 7(7)-6, 6-3, in a match that lasted one hour and 46 minutes. This win marks a strong return for the 19-year-old Filipina star after an early exit in the Birmingham Classic.
Cabrera, ranked 206th in the world, is the daughter of Filipino parents. Eala, who recently slipped to world no. 77 in the WTA rankings, now moves on to face Switzerland’s Valentina Ryser (WTA no. 230) in the Round of 16.