Alex Eala’s path to her second Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 500 title got a little clearer after world No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States withdrew from the Singapore Tennis Open on Wednesday.

Pegula announced her decision on social media, citing physical fatigue following a demanding campaign in the US Open, where she reached the semifinals.

Her withdrawal moved the 21-year-old Eala up to the projected No. 3 seed behind world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva and world No. 11 Amanda Anisimova of the United States in the prestigious WTA 500 tournament set from 21 to 27 September at the OCBC Arena in Kallang.

Indonesian powerhouse Janice Tjen is also in the field as well as Filipino-Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who bagged a wildcard spot in this prestigious event, where the top four players will be given a free pass to the Round of 16.

“I’m really disappointed to have to withdraw from Singapore,” said Pegula, who had some very memorable battles with the fast-rising Filipina star.

“After a long and physically demanding few weeks at the US Open, I’m just not quite ready to get back on court and compete at the level I expect from myself.”

Eala will be chasing her second WTA title after capturing the Washington Open last August, where she defeated Pegula in a rain-delayed final.