Alex Eala loses to Alexandrova in Abu Dhabi Open quarters

Dubai: Alex Eala’s singles campaign at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open came to an end on Thursday evening after a straight-sets quarter-final defeat to World No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The 20-year-old Filipino star fell 3-6, 3-6, struggling to recover after a slow start that saw her trail 0-2 in the opening set.

Alexandrova maintained control to close out the first set, and although Eala showed resilience in the second — fighting back from an early deficit to level the score at 3-3 — the 31-year-old Russian elevated her game to seal the match.

“She was fighting until the end. I knew it was going to be difficult, but the atmosphere was amazing today,” Alexandrova said after the match. “I know the crowd was cheering for her, but I really enjoyed my time on court. I tried to do my best, and I’m happy I was able to finish it in two sets because it was really difficult in the end.”

Alexandrova will face either Liudmila Samsonova or Hailey Baptiste in the semi-finals.

Despite the singles loss, Eala remains in contention in the doubles event. She and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen are set to compete in the quarter-finals later in the day against Zhang Shuai and Cristina Bucsa.