Eala’s former rivals go through qualifying

While Alex Eala sits comfortably waiting for her Round-of-64 draw in the BNP Paribas Open, her former rivals will have to go through two qualifying matches to earn a slot in the main draw of the tournament set to start Wednesday in Indian Wells, California.

Among those attempting to join Eala and the sport’s big guns are world No. 98 Lulu Sun of New Zealand, world No. 109 Talia Gibson of Canada and world No. 199 Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand.

Eala, 20, earned a bye and will make her debut in the Round-of-64 owing to her lofty world No. 31 rating.

Known as the fifth Grand Slam, the Indian Well event is a Women’s Tennis Association 1000 level competition.

Also expected to start at the Round of 64 are defending champion Mirra Andreeva of Russia, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland and world No. 3 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.

Sun is facing No. 127 Maddison Inglis of Australia in the first qualifying round.

Sun defeated Eala last year in the semifinal of the Jingshan Open in China last September, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The 24-year-old Sun went on to win the entire tournament after beating home bet Ma Yexin, 6-4, 6-2.

Also bidding to make the main draw is Sawangkaew as she faces world No. 120 Rebeka Masarova of Switzerland.

Sawangkaew lost to Eala, 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, in the final of the women’s singles of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last December.

World No. 37 and Indonesian netter Janice Tjen is expected to be the other Southeast Asian in the main draw of BNP Paribas Open.

Gibson will face American Madison Brengle in her quest to join the big guns.

Eala, a Rafael Nadal Academy graduate, took down Gibson, 6-3, 6-1, in the Last 16 of the W40 Palma del Rio in Spain back in 2023.