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 the main draw of the final Grand Slam of the year starts on 30 August.

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.

“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 (WTA) title at the Washington Open.

She is also poised to rise to a career-high No. 18 in the WTA rankings this week, placing her inside the Top 32 and guaranteeing her a seed in the tournament.