Alex Eala to face Spain’s Cristina Bucșa in second round of US Open
Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala is set to face Spain’s Cristina Bucșa in the second round of the 2025 US Open.
Bucșa, the 27-year-old world's no. 95, secured her spot in the second round after beating out American Claire Liu.
The Spanish player needed just one hour and 22 minutes to dispatch Liu with a commanding score of 6-2, 6-1, in a match that concluded early Aug. 26 morning, Manila time.
Eala will aim to outplay Bucșa as she seeks to reach deeper into the Grand Slam main draw.
The winner of their clash will advance to the third round to meet either 19th-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium or New Zealand’s rising star Lulu Sun after their respective showdown.
According to the US Open website, Bucsa has won over 40 matches in her career. She ranked 56th for singles since January 15, 2024 and 19th for doubles since June 10, 2024.
Meanwhile, on Aug. 25, Eala made tennis history as the first player from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match with a first-round upset of Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson.
The 20-year-old from Quezon City recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the deciding set to score a thrilling 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13/11) triumph.
"I'm super over the moon with what I was able to do today, especially coming back in the third," Eala said.
"It's a very special win for me," she added.
