MANILA, Philippines — Belinda Bencic may have been on the opposite side of Filipino tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala, but the Swiss star still enjoyed playing in front of a lively crowd at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Toronto.
Bencic advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Eala, 6-4, 6-0, in the fourth round.
Despite knowing that the majority of the crowd was cheering for the Filipina, Bencic expressed her appreciation for the atmosphere inside the stadium.
“I know most of you guys were cheering for Alex, but I still have to say it was very nice for me to play in front of you all. Thank you so much for the great crowd tonight,” said Bencic.
The enthusiastic crowd added to the atmosphere of the highly anticipated clash, with Eala once again drawing a strong turnout from Filipino fans in Toronto.
For Bencic, however, the reception made the match an enjoyable experience despite finding herself on the receiving end of the crowd’s cheers. TMT
