Eala teams up with Ukrainian for Guangzhou Open doubles

MANILA, Philippines — Before seeing action in the singles division, Filipino tennis ace Alexandra Eala, alongside Ukrainian partner Nadiaa Kichenok, begins her doubles campaign at the Guangzhou Open in China on Monday.

The Filipino-Ukrainian duo battles the British-Chinese pair of Emily Appleton and Chinese Qianhui Tang in the round of 16 at 10 a.m.

A former Grand Slam juniors doubles champ at the 2020 Australian Open with Indonesian Priska Nugroho, Eala is coming off a first round exit at the Japan Open on October 14.

Ranked 204th in the doubles division and 54th in singles, the 20-year-old Eala yielded to Czech Tereza Valentova, 1-6, 2-6.

Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Kichenok is a doubles specialist with a 62nd rank but she was once active in the singles scene and achieved a career-best rank of 100th in 2014.

Focusing on the doubles side since 2017, Kichenok boasts 11 titles including four mints with her twin sister Lyudmyla.

Kichenok also achieved a career-best 29th rank in the doubles side.

Kichenok last saw action at the Japan Open where she and Japanese partner Makoto Ninomiya reached the semifinals.

As for Tang and Appleton, they are ranked 78th and 80th, respectively, in the doubles side.

Tang last competed in the doubles side at the Ningbo Open where she and partner Ulrikke Eikeri exited in the first round.

On the other hand, Appleton competed in the same tournament with partner Isabelle Haverlag and likewise bowed out in the opener.

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