Dangerous Dane

A seasoned Danish netter known for her giant-slaying ways will be at the opposite side of the court when Alex Eala kicks off her campaign in the women’s singles event of the US Open on Monday (Manila time) at the USTA Billie Jean Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

Clara Tauson, a powerful baseline hitter, will serve as Eala’s first-round opponent in her debut in this prestigious Grand Slam event that stakes te largest ever payout in professional tennis with a total prize of $5 million — or around P285 million — to the champion.

Tauson is no ordinary foe.

The 22-year-old star from Copenhagen will march with solid credentials as she is at No. 15 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking and was seeded 15th in the US Open. She is also won WTA titles three times, including the Auckland Classic early this year in which she beat Naomi Osaka, who retired due to abdominal injury.

The six-footer Tauson reached the Round of 16 of the French Open before making a Round of 32 exit after bowing to Veronika Kudermetova in the recent Cincinnati Open.

But that’s not what makes Tauson very dangerous.

In the Canadian Open early this month, Tauson was at her best when she beat second seed Iga Swiatek of Poland in the Round of 16 before claiming the scalp of former Grand Slam champion Madison Keys to reach the semifinals of the prestigious WTA 1000 event.

Tauson eventually lost to Naomi Osaka in the Last Four, but her story warmed the hearts of tennis fans as she made the run while nursing a broken heart.

“Two days ago, my grandfather unfortunately passed away — so I really wanted to win for him today,” Tauson said after beating Keys in the quarterfinals.

“I was told the day after I beat Swiatek, so yesterday, and I really wanted to come out here and show my best tennis for him. Hopefully he’s watching.”

Eala, on the other hand, had a similar run that turned her into an overnight sensation early this year.

The Filipina superstar beat three former Grand Slam champions in Jelena Ostapenko, Keys and Swiatek to reach the semifinals of the Miami Open — an equally-tough WTA event.

Although she bowed to Jessica Pegula in a a grueling three-set decision, she already made a mark in professional tennis as she cracked into the top 75, a feat that gave her a free ride to the main draw of any Grand Slam event like the US Open.

But lately, Eala is having a rough performance.

Now ranks No. 70, Eala suffered an injury that sent her crashing in the Round of 128 of the Montreal Open. Since then, she skipped two crucial WTA events — the Cincinnati Open and the Monterrey Open — as she flew to her training base in Mallorca, Spain to rest and recover in preparation for the US Open.

“I’m just trying to maintain this level that I’m on,” Eala said in a recent interview, adding that she is still glued to becoming the top tennis player in the world.

“I’m trying to take it week by week. Long term, I want to be No 1 in the world, but that’s a long way away. It’s important to dream big.”

Should Eala pull off a shocking win over Tauson, she will face the winner between 27-year-old veteran Christina Busca of Spain and a yet-to-be determined qualifier in the second round.