Aleksandra “Alex” Ila defeated veteran Croatian ace Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-4 at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne on Wednesday ahead of her main draw debut at the Australian Open (AOA) this weekend.
Ms Ella, 20, won the second in just over an hour in her final game before facing off against world giants at this year's first Grand Slam in the same city on February 1.
Ms Ela had earlier defeated the 29-year-old Croatian, who won the 2024 Paris Olympics singles silver medal, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand last week.
That win sent her into the last four after a 7-5, 5-7, 4-6 loss to China's Wang Xinyu, her third win on the WTA Tour, which should help her preparation for the big stage.
Mses. Ella and Vekic, along with Ms Zinyu, have also been listed in the main draw of the Philippine Women's Open in Manila from January 26 to 31, although the Filipina ace's tenure will still depend on her campaign in the AO.
Her rematch with Ms. Vekic, the WTA No. 70, was her lone duel in Kuyong, which served as an exhibition tournament for invite-only emerging and experienced players as her final buildup to the AO, which she considers a home tournament given its rich history.
Ms Ila, previously ranked world number two in the girls' category, captured her first Grand Slam girls' doubles title at the 2020 Australian Open and then entered the women's category as a wildcard with multiple qualifying rounds in the past.
The Filipina sensation will be playing in her first AO main draw this time and will earn direct entry as a top 50 player.
Ms Ella, a proud graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain, moved up from 53rd to 49th this week, moving up from her previous career best of 50th for the AO main draw on January 18 following the ongoing qualifiers last month.
AO also released a promotional video this week featuring Ms. Ella and her mentor Rafael Nadal, explaining what it means to play in one of only four Slams in the world and the first Australian major of the season.
“It was a priceless memory for me to be able to win the Junior Girls Doubles with one of my good friends,” Ms. Ella said with a smile as she recalled the historic 2020 campaign with Indonesian friend Prisca Madeline Nugroho. “It's kind of my home slam and I have a lot of good memories there.”
Ms Ella went on to win another Slam girls doubles title with Russian teammate Oksana Selekhemteva at the 2021 French Open, but has yet to get past the second round of women's singles since turning professional.
She became the first Filipina winner in any Slam main draw at the US Open last year, defeating world No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) in the first round.
At the AO, which remains the main draw of a Slam she has not played in since Wimbledon and the French Open, Ms Ella certainly wants more. — John Brian Ulande