Buoyed by the support from Filipino fans, Alexandra Eala got off to a superb start at the Linz Open in Austria on Tuesday, beating home favourite Julia Grabher 6-4, 6-3.

The straight-set victory in her first match on the clay court this season has earned the world number 46 a place in the round of 16.

The Filipina sensation will now take on former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, a player she had beaten last year when she famously reached the semifinals at the Miami Open.

The highest-ranked player in the history of the Philippines, Eala will be confident of advancing to the quarterfinals even as she faces a player — Ostapenko — whose greatest triumph came on clay.  

The 28-year-old Latvian is a hugely experienced campaigner. But as always, Eala will enjoy the support of her adoring Filipino fans.

Fans of Alexandra Eala cheer as she plays against Austria's Julia Grabher

On Tuesday, hundreds of flag-waving fans turned up at the TipsArena Linz to cheer for her as Eala produced a solid game to tame Grabher.

Despite the home advantage, the Austrian was overpowered by the left-handed star who rode the wave of Filipino support to clinch the game in two sets.

The 20-year-old has already grabbed a semifinal appearance this season at the Auckland Open.

She also made it to the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this season.

Now, a place in the quarterfinals in her first clay court tournament of the season will give her a boost as she continues her quest for excellence at the highest level.