Eala Takes Opening Set Against Stoiana at the US Open

First Round at Louis Armstrong Stadium

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines won the opening set 6-1 against American qualifier Mary Stoiana in the first round of the US Open, the final tennis grand slam of the season, INQUIRER.net reported in its live coverage of the match at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The result of the match is not yet known from the available reporting. The Guardian, writing before play, said the match was scheduled for Tuesday night; INQUIRER.net's live file is dated Wednesday, September 2, and a separate INQUIRER.net passage describes fans gathering four hours before a Monday night first-round match. The sources do not resolve the discrepancy.

Rain delayed the start of play on the outside courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Tuesday, according to INQUIRER.net, though matches on the covered Arthur Ashe Stadium were unaffected.

A Career-High Ranking

Eala is 21 and ranked No 18, the highest ranking any player from the Philippines has reached, the Guardian reported. She won her first title on the Women's Tennis Association tour last month at the DC Open in Washington.

She reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon this year and the fourth round at Indian Wells and Miami in the spring. At her US Open debut last year, she beat Clara Tauson in the first round, becoming the first Filipino player to win a match at a major in the Open Era, according to TSN.

The Guardian reported that the president of the Philippines hosted a reception for her and called for a national celebration after the Washington title.

Fans, Earnings and Fan Week

Filipino flags and hats reading "Laban Alex", meaning fight on, filled the practice courts before her first-round match, INQUIRER.net reported. Many of those watching did not have tickets for the evening session.

The Guardian reported that resale ticket prices for her opening match doubled to nearly $400 after the schedule was announced, at the 14,053-seat Armstrong court. In the week before singles play began she played mixed doubles alongside Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, appeared with Serena Williams and Anna Wintour at an Arthur Ashe Stadium event honouring Roger Federer, and practised with Karolina Pliskova, Naomi Osaka and alongside Carlos Alcaraz.

Forbes estimates her off-court earnings over the past year at more than $5m, on top of $1.7m in prize money, the Guardian said. Her agent predicts she will be the world's second-highest-paid female athlete by 2027.

"I think at the forefront of everything is gratitude," Eala told reporters. "I'm very grateful for the support that my fans give me and that my supporters give me."