ABU DHABI OPEN: Eala bows out in singles but stays alive in doubles

Sports

ALEX Eala was shown the exit door in the singles event but isn’t going home just yet after she and her Indonesian partner stayed in contention in the doubles of the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open in the United Arab Emirates early Friday (Philippine time), Feb. 6.

Eala couldn’t get past the quarterfinal round in the singles competition after bowing to the higher-ranked Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, 3-6, 3-6.

Eala came into the match on a high morale as she moved up to No. 38 in the live rankings of the Women’s Tennis Association. Eala’s current rank at No. 45 is already a career-high but she further moved up in the ladder following her victories in the first two rounds.

Alexandrova, however, showed why she is ranked No. 11 in the world, taking control throughout the match to blank the 20-year-old Filipina tennis star.

Instead of sulking after the sorry loss, Eala regrouped as she and Janice Tjen hacked out a 6-3, 6-3 win over Spaniard Cristina Bucșa and Chinese Shuai Zhang to reach the doubles semifinals.

In the semis, Eala and Tjen will face Slovakian Tereza Mihalíková and British Olivia Nicholls, who escaped Russian Irina Khromacheva and Slovenian Andreja Klepač, 7-5, 6-7(7), 10-8.

With the doubles victory, Eala and Alexandrova could cross paths again.

Alexandrova and American partner Desirae Krawczyk are also playing in the semis against Sofia Kenin of the USA and Australian Maya Joint.(CCM)