Alexandra Eala gets huge title boost at upcoming Singapore Open with biggest challenger having withdrawn

Ahead of the Singpaore Open, there has been a lot of chaos with withdrawals. The tally is now up to seven, with the No.1 seed Jessica Pegula confirming her intentions of pulling out of the WTA 500 tournament following an extremely busy return to North America.

The World No.3 was the biggest name to be in action ahead of the WTA 1000 double header in Beijing and Wuhan. She had been set to headline a stacked field that would be competing for glory in Singapore. After making a successful return last year, the event has been boosted to 500 level, with it in turn attracting a number of high-calibre profiles to compete as the sport continues to get bigger in that part of the world.

Pegula was one of the stars who had been enticed into competing, but that will no longer be the case. The American confirmed the news on her Instagram story that after a long and gruelling period in North America, she would be sitting this tournament out.

“I’m really disappointed to have to withdraw from Singapore,” she wrote. “After a long and physically demanding few weeks at the US Open, I’m just not quite ready to get back on court and compete at the level I expect from myself. I was really looking forward to playing in Singapore and hope I can come back in the future.”

Pegula had reached the final of the DC Open before falling short in Canada at the last-16 stage. A brace of semi-final runs at the Cincinnati Open and US Open showcased her brilliant form, yet she was still unable to get over the line against the absolute best players for the biggest titles, New York specifically.

Pegula's replacement is yet to be confirmed, but it will be a great opportunity for some of the lower-ranked players to come in and get a crack at a deep run to commence their Asian swing. For the top names, Pegula withdrawing is huge news, and that is most definitely the case for Alexandra Eala.

The Philippines sensation could not be closer to home as she prepares for a big tournament. She managed to get the better of Pegula in the final of the DC Open to taste WTA success for the very first time and has since not taken her foot off the gas pedal.

Mirra Andreeva is now the number one seed following her US Open heartbreak. She had been missed match points away from reaching the semi-final against Coco Gauff and would have had some time to rest and recover, ready to go again.

Amanda Anisimova has also been bumped up and headlines the bottom half of the draw. The China Open following the conclusion of this tournament is crucial for the American who goes into it as the reigning champion. 1000 points will be on the line, and Anisimova is not in the electrifying form she had been showing this time last year.

Those are the top three seeds with Elise Mertens, Maja Chwalinska, Sara Bejlek, Maria Sakkari and Barbora Krejcikova completing the seedings list. Mertens won the event last year when it was held in February at WTA 250 level, getting the better of Ann Li in the final. The stakes are higher than they have ever been before in Singapore, with the competition set to start from September 21-27.