Alex Eala advanced to the Cincinnati Open third round Saturday after Elena-Gabriela Ruse retired during a weather delay, ending a match the Filipina star had firmly under control.
Eala led 6-1, 3-0 when play was suspended due to lightning at approximately 12:11 p.m. Eastern time. The Cincinnati Open initially announced that matches would resume no earlier than 1:30 p.m., but Ruse withdrew before the players returned to the court.
The result gave Eala a 6-1, 3-0 retirement victory in her Cincinnati debut. She will face world No. 10 Amanda Anisimova in the third round Monday, Aug. 17. The tournament had not announced a start time or court assignment as of Saturday afternoon.
Anisimova, the No. 9 seed, advanced by defeating Zeynep Sönmez 6-2, 6-3.
Alex Eala Dominated Before Elena Ruse’s Retirement
GettyRomania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse reacts during the women’s singles quarter-final match of the WTA 500 Bad Homburg Open tennis tournament.
The unusual finish should not obscure how convincingly Eala played before the interruption.
The No. 17 seed dictated the exchanges with her left-handed forehand and aggressive return position, repeatedly forcing Ruse behind the baseline. Eala raced through the opening set 6-1 and carried that momentum into the second, winning its first three games to establish a double-break advantage.
Ruse called for the trainer after falling behind 3-0 and received treatment around her right foot. The precise nature and severity of the issue were not immediately disclosed.
Eala was preparing to serve when officials stopped play and instructed spectators at the Lindner Family Tennis Center to seek shelter. Ruse subsequently retired without the match resuming.
The victory also allowed Eala to avenge a painful loss in the final round of 2024 U.S. Open qualifying. Eala won the opening set in that meeting before Ruse rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory.
Nearly two years later, Eala entered their rematch as a top-20 player and WTA champion. She captured her first tour-level singles title in Washington earlier in August by defeating world No. 3 Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Alex Eala Draws Amanda Anisimova in Third Round
Eala and Anisimova will meet for the first time Monday, with a place in the Cincinnati round of 16 at stake.
Anisimova presents a considerable jump in opposition. The two-time Grand Slam finalist possesses some of the tour’s cleanest power from the baseline, particularly off her two-handed backhand.
Eala, however, has repeatedly shown that prominent names do not intimidate her. She arrived in Cincinnati with a 9-4 record against top-10 opponents, using her compact strokes, court coverage and competitive poise to redirect pace.
Before the tournament, Eala explained that she would measure a successful Cincinnati debut by the quality of her tennis rather than the number of rounds she survived.
“It’s the matches of substance,” Eala said. “Did I execute what I wanted to execute? Did I bring the level that I wanted to bring?”
She then added with a laugh: “If I reach the final, then I’ll take that, too.”
Eala also offered a measured assessment of the momentum she brought from winning Washington and reaching the round of 16 in Toronto.
“Momentum can help. A lot of matches can help with your confidence, but it doesn’t guarantee anything,” she said.
Eala did not get the opportunity to finish Saturday’s victory on her racket. Before Ruse retired, however, she had already answered her most important questions: The level was there, the execution was sharp and her Cincinnati run was moving forward.
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