Alex Eala’s run ends in Portugal after tough battle with Panna Udvardy

Dubai: Filipina teen tennis sensation Alex Eala saw her purple patch end in the last 16 of the Oeiras Ladies Open, losing to 137th-ranked Hungarian Panna Udvardy 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in Portugal on Thursday.

The 19-year-old, who entered the tournament ranked a career-high 73rd after a stunning run at the Miami Open late last month, ran out of steam in the gruelling one-hour, 50-minute contest on clay.

After a sluggish start, top-seeded Eala fought back to push the first set to a tiebreak but fell short. She then surged to a 2-0 lead in the second set, sparking hopes of a comeback, but those hopes faded as Udvardy closed out the match in straight sets.

Eala had earlier wrapped up a rain-delayed first-round win over Dutch player Anouk Koevermans, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the last 16 of the WTA 125 event.

She arrived in Portugal on the back of a historic rise in the rankings, recently becoming the first Filipina to break into the WTA top 100. Competing as a wild card at the Miami Open, Eala stunned the tennis world by defeating three Grand Slam champions — 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and world No 2 Iga Swiatek — before falling to world No 4 Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals.

Her previous best ranking was No 134, earned after a semi-final finish in Canberra earlier this year. Since turning professional in 2020, Eala has risen from No 1180 and continues to live up to her billing as one of the sport’s brightest prospects.

“I’m proud of myself for pushing through those tough moments, as well as to have been able to make a statement for the Philippines in one of the biggest stages of tennis,” Eala shared in a social media post.