(From left) Amanda Anisimova and Alex Eala. Photos from players' Instagram accounts
World No. 10 Amanda Anisimova is looking forward to facing Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala at the Cincinnati Open, expecting a "really fun" match against the Filipino tennis star, who is known for drawing crowds of supporters.
The American tennis player made the remarks in an interview posted by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).
"I haven't played her before. She's been having such an incredible season, incredible year and very great player with a lot of fans so I'm really looking forward to that," Anisimova said of Eala, currently ranked at No. 20.
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"I know that it's probably gonna be a very packed stadium. I'm sure it will be really fun," she added.
Anisimova made similar remarks in a separate interview, saying Eala "has great fanbase and it looks like it's an incredible atmosphere every time she steps out to play a match."
Anisimova said she wouldn't mind if much of the crowd were there to cheer for Eala, as long as there is a "good atmosphere" during the match.
"I love a packed stadium and i love a good atmosphere so yeah, I'm sure it'll be a great match even though they're probably gonna be rooting for her, more for her end. But I don't mind. I'll try to thrive off of the energy," she said.
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