Alex Eala loses to German foe, exits Guadalajara Open

Filipina tennis player Alex Eala concluded her campaign after succumbing for the fourth time to German rival Tatjana Maria in the Round of 16 of the 2024 Women's Tennis Association or WTA Guadalajara 125 Open on Thursday, September 5 (Manila time).

World No. 99 Maria was just too much for the 19-year-old Filipina as the German veteran punched in four aces in the two-set singles’ win. Maria also won 37 service points and 30 receiving points in a sheer display of expertise.

The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate was just bewildered as Maria won the next four games, despite the former being able to go toe-to-toe early with the latter, with a 2-3 tally. The match was over after an hour and 35 minutes.

Eala failed to overcome her German tormentor in their fourth encounter as Maria triumphed, 6-2, 6-2, in the WTA Thailand Open; then prevailed again in the WTA Madrid Open in Spain, 6-1, 6-1; and kept domineering over the Filipina in the WTA 250 Guangzhou Open in China, 6-3, 6-0.

It was a double blow for Eala as she and Kimberly Birrelly of Australia also exited the doubles play after getting ousted by world doubles No. 83 Katarzyna Piter of Poland and world doubles No. 99 Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-4, 6-4, also on Thursday.