Filipino tennis star Alex Eala. –Hamburg Tennis Association/via Alex Eala Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala failed to reach the main draw of the W100 Shrewsbury as she fell to British Maia Lumsden in the second round of qualifiers, 1-6, 5-7, on Monday in Great Britain.
After a lopsided loss in the first set, the 17-year-old Filipino fought back from a 2-4 deficit in the second and saved a match point for a 5-5 tie. However, Lumsden clinched her ticket to the main draw by winning the next two games capped by a long forehand hit of Eala, which ended the match in one hour and 24 minutes.
In the first round of the qualifiers, Eala eliminated hometown bet Ranah Akua Stoiber, 6-3, 6-1.
The US Open girls’ singles champion also tallied a new career ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association as Eala jumped from her previous No. 248 to a new high No. 214.
Eala reached the semifinals of the W80 Poitiers but yielded to Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium anew, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, last Saturday in France.
The First Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles title capped her busy October, where she saw action in four tournaments including a quarterfinals finish in the W80 Rancho Santa Fe in California and second round exit in the W60 Hamburg in Germany.
Eala remains searching for her third professional crown after she last ruled in the W25 Chiang Rai last April, following her first title run in W15 Manacor last year.