Alex Eala sets US Open second round clash with World no.95 Cristina Bucsa

The chants of 'Let’s go, Alex!' still echoed in her ears when Filipina tennis star Alex Eala learned who she’d be facing next. Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, world No. 95, made quick work of American qualifier Claire Liu, 6-2, 6-1, setting up a second-round clash with the 20-year-old Filipina at the US Open.

Their clash is set for Wednesday, August 27, in Queens, New York, with a scheduled start time of 1 am Manila time on Thursday, August 28.

For Eala, ranked 75th, the matchup comes with a hint of déjà vu. Four years ago, she battled Bucsa in a three-setter and clawed back from a set down to win. It was one of those scrappy victories that stuck with her. “I’m always in the mood for more history,” she said earlier this week, after surviving a tense three-set opener against Danish seed Clara Tauson.

That win, a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) marathon, wasn’t just her first at Flushing Meadows. It made her the first Filipino to ever win a Grand Slam singles match.

And if the crowd had anything to do with it, she’ll have the same backing in round two. About 90 percent of the 8,000 people packed into her court were waving flags, chanting in Tagalog, and rattling Tauson into errors. “It felt like home,” Eala admitted, her voice breaking as she thanked the Filipino community in New York. “I don’t have a home tournament, so having this support means everything.”

Bucsa, 27, may be lower-ranked, but she’s no pushover. She owns an Olympic bronze medal in doubles from Paris 2024, has seven doubles titles on the WTA Tour, and earlier this year upset former US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Singles hasn’t always been her strongest suit, but her demolition of Liu in just over an hour showed she’s in rhythm.

The stakes are clear: a place in the round of 32, plus a jump in prize money from $154,000 (P8.7 million) to $237,000 (P13.4 million). For Eala, it’s another chance to stretch a dream summer into something bigger.

One more match. Another shot at history.