Alexandra Eala fever hit Toronto, prompting the National Bank Open to make unprecedented accommodations to meet the overwhelming demand from her fans. From adding more Filipino dishes to the food menu to scheduling a first-round doubles match on Center Court, tournament organizers have made a series of rare changes to embrace the excitement surrounding the rising star.
Over the weekend, the 21-year-old Eala made history by becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour title, capturing the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. She did it in spectacular fashion, taking out one big name after the other: Zheng Qinwen, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, and Jessica Pegula in the final. Now, enjoying her first week as a Top 20 player, Eala has become the hottest ticket at the WTA 1000 Canadian Open.
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The demand to see Eala in Toronto was immediate. Tournament director Karl Hale revealed that tickets for her first-round clash with American Alycia Parks were snapped up within just 30 minutes, leaving organizers with no choice but to move the match from Grandstand Court to Center Court to accommodate the unprecedented interest.
“It’s incredible,” Hale said about Eala’s popularity. “It’s something we’ve never seen before this early in the tournament.”
Eala is scheduled to begin her singles campaign on Wednesday, August 5, during the night session at Sobeys Stadium, which has a capacity of 12,500 fans.
Meanwhile, after their planned doubles partnership in Washington with Venus Williams failed to materialize, Eala and the American tennis legend will team up in Toronto. Their first-round doubles match is set for Center Court on Thursday night. According to Hale, it is the first time he can remember a first-round doubles match being scheduled on Center Court.
The Eala effect has even reached the tournament’s food stands. In another unprecedented move, organizers have expanded their menu around Sobeys Stadium to include more traditional Filipino dishes, responding to the wave of Filipino fans expected to attend the event.
“We’ve never done this before in the history of the tournament,” Hale said. (source: blogTO)
