Eala opens quest for historic Aussie Open berth vs higher-ranked Croatian

MANILA, Philippines -- And the stage is set.

Alex Eala has drawn a familiar foe in Jana Fett of Croatia for the opening round of the 2025 Australian Open qualifiers at the Melbourne Park.

The 19-year-old Filipina rising star will slug it out against the 28-year-old ace and No. 27 seed at 7 a.m. Tuesday (Manila time) to kick off an expected tough three-round qualifying phase featuring 128 players.

A win by Eala would push her two steps shy of a coveted main draw ticket, arranging a second-round duel against the winner between Slovakia’s Victoria Hrunkacova (WTA No. 168) and Austria’s Sinja Kraus (WTA No. 211).

Only 16 standouts from the 128-player field will advance to the main draw of the Australian major slated on Jan. 12 to 26 at the Rod Laver Arena.

But first thing’s first for the WTA No. 147 Eala, who will have some business to settle against the Fett, WTA No. 136.

Eala, then a newbie in the women’s pro circuit, absorbed a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 second-round defeat to Fett in the 2021 W25 Manacor in Spain, where she later on graduated as a scholar from the renowned Rafael Nadal Academy in 2023.

With five singles titles and three doubles crowns to show, Eala, however, will be up for tall order against the grizzled Croatian, who boasts nine singles and five doubles titles.

Fett also went as high as No. 97 in the WTA rankings while Eala reached a career-best of No. 143.

Eala is attempting to be the first Filipina player to ever qualify in a Grand Slam main draw after nearly achieving it in the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open last season.