Eala braces for impact

Alex Eala’s chances of making it all the way to the top of the US Open would largely depend on the draw.

Former world No. 4 Greg Rusedski believes Alex Eala has what it takes to make a deep run in the US Open and possibly reach the quarterfinal when she competes in the final Grand Slam of the year.

Rusedski, the former British No. 1, said Eala’s status as a seeded player could open the door for another historic campaign, although the 21-year-old Filipina star will ultimately have to determine how far she can go.

Eala is already in New York City, where she has started training at Arthur Ashe Stadium inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Action kicks off 30 August.

“She’s going to be seeded, so she is going to have an open section to get into the third round and then hopefully push past the fourth round,” Rusedski said.

“The best Filipino result ever at a major was at Wimbledon; I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets to the quarters onwards, depending on how the draw works out.”

Eala enters the US Open with her confidence soaring after a breakthrough North American swing that included her first Women’s Tennis Association title at the Washington Open.

She is also poised to rise to a career-high No. 18 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings this week, placing her inside the Top 32 and guaranteeing her a spot in the tournament.

The seeding could prove crucial.

Eala enjoyed a favorable draw at Wimbledon last July, where she made history by becoming the first Filipino woman to reach the Round of 16 of the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam.

She followed it up with a title in the Washington Open in early August, showing everybody that she has what it takes to be one of the best players in the WTA Tour.

With a large Filipino community in New York, Eala can also expect plenty of support as she returns to the city for the biggest hard-court tournament of the year.

But Grand Slam-winning coach Rick Macci warned that Eala will now face a different kind of challenge as her stature in the sport continues to grow.

The pressure, according to Macci, will only intensify as opponents become increasingly aware of what the Filipina star is capable of.

“Life in the fast lane starts now for the Philippine Machine. She has to make pressure her best friend, as now she will be hunted to the very end. Off the ground she can pound but her serve is not fundamentally sound starting from the ground,” Macci said.

“Her focus has to be about enjoying the battle or else she will now feel more nerves and rattle. This is part of the maturation to get to the top, but along the way she has to stay super positive, smile, work harder and never stop.”

For Eala, the US Open represents another opportunity to prove that her Wimbledon breakthrough and Washington triumph were only the beginning.