Filipino tennis standout Alex Eala surged nine spots in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) live rankings after pulling off a major victory at the Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates early Wednesday in Manila.
Eala climbed from No. 47 to No. 38 following her second-round (round of 32) triumph over world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini, 6-1, 7-6 (5), booking a place in the round of 16.
The win also marked a significant boost in her ranking points, as Eala earned 120 points for reaching the third round. She had dropped to No. 47 in the latest official WTA rankings released Monday after previously reaching a career-high ranking of No. 40.
Based on the live standings, Eala posted a net increase of 110 points, indicating that she had 10 points credited from the same tournament week last year. Those points have now been removed and replaced by her current 120-point haul, giving her a total of 1,337 points in the updated live tally.
Eala is set to face Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the round of 16 on Thursday, with a win potentially raising her tournament total from 120 to 215 points and securing a spot in the quarterfinals.
