Alex Eala at W50 Indore in India.–Photo from Alex Eala Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala crashed out in the W50 Indore semifinal after yielding to Polina Kudermetova of Russia in three sets, 4-6, 7-6(5), 2-6, on Saturday in India.
The 18-year-old Eala fought back from a 5-6 deficit in the second set and got the better of her Russian foe in the extended frame to avoid getting swept and force a decider.
However, Kudermetova unleashed a strong 3-0 start in the third set before Eala cut it down to a one-point deficit, 3-2, only for the former to regain her momentum and finish off the Filipino tennis sensation in a grueling two-hour and 28-minute game.
Kudermetova forged a winner-take-all $50,000 final against Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia on Sunday.
Eala’s fifth pro International Tennis Federation fifth singles championship remained elusive but she was able to surpass her quarterfinal exit in the W50 Pune last week.
The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate made her first semifinal appearance this year after outlasting Anca Alexia Todoni of Romania in the W50 Indore quarterfinal, 7-5, 6-2 on Friday.
The third-seed Eala kicked off her Indore campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Zhibek Kulambayeva of Kazakhstan in the first round before taking down Ekaterina Yashina of Russia in three sets, 7-6(1), 6(4)-7, 6-0, on Thursday in the second round.
Eala, who set a new best ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) as World No.184, earned her first doubles title as a pro in the W50 Pune last week with her Latvian partner Darja Semenistaja.