Winning the Birmingham Open title has only made Alex Eala hungrier as she pursues another title at the Queen’s Club Championships in London.
World No. 33 Eala said winning the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 125 tournament gave her a huge confidence boost as she braces for tougher competition in the WTA 500-level event that serves as a warmup for the Wimbledon Championship next month.
The Rafael Nadal Academy alumna started strong with a 6-3, 6-2 sweep of No. 33 Zhang Shuai of China in the Round of 32 last Tuesday, extending her winning streak to six matches.
“Of course, winning Birmingham last week was a very proud moment in my career and it does give me a lot of confidence and it’s left me with good feelings on court, but I am aware that everyone is out to compete, especially here at Queen’s,” Eala said.
“Everyone’s preparing for Wimbledon, so it’s really cutthroat. More than anything, it motivates me and keeps me focused.”
Eala is battling No. 19 Iva Jovic of the United States as of press time for a win that would not only extend her streak to seven consecutive wins but also set up a quarterfinal clash against the winner between world No. 5 Amanda Anisimova of the United States and No. 44 Laura Siegemund of Germany.
Eala said she hopes to maintain her momentum on grass courts heading into Wimbledon, which kicks off on 29 June at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.
