Alex Eala wraps up her Asian swing and breakthrough season at the Hong Kong Open.
Eala opens her campaign against American Alycia Parks in the round of 32 on Monday at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium.
The 21-year-old Eala and Parks split their first two meetings, which took place this year.
Eala was beaten by Parks, 6-0, 3-6, 2-6, in the Australian Open round of 128 in January before leveling the score seven months later at the Canadian Open round of 64 with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory.
The Filipino World No. 19 is seeded second in the WTA 250 hard court event. Romania’s Sorana Cirstea is the top seed.
If Eala beats Parks, she moves on to face the winner between teenagers Sun Xinran of China and Tereza Valentova of Czechia.
Eala reached the round of 16 in Hong Kong last year, losing to third seed Viktoria Mboko of Canada, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6.
Eala is coming off a tough quarterfinal loss at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo to eventual champion Diana Shnaider of Russia. Shnaider beat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, in Sunday’s final.