By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense tennis star Alex Eala dropped two spots to World’s No. 35 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, potentially affecting her chances of securing a seeded spot in the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.

Eala was ranked No. 33 last week but slid in the standings following results from recent grass-court tournaments, including Donna Vekic’s title run at the HSBC Championships.

The 21-year-old currently has 1,422 ranking points, tying her with Czech player Katerina Siniakova.

With Wimbledon approaching, Eala is expected to focus on a strong showing at the Berlin Tennis Open in Germany in a bid to improve her ranking and strengthen her chances of earning a seed for the Grand Slam event.

Eala is scheduled to face Vekic, who enters the match fresh from her championship victory at the HSBC Championships, while Eala is coming off a title-winning campaign at the Birmingham Open./ASC, WDJ