FILE–Filipino tennis star Alex Eala. –Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala ended her Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Mutua Madrid Open campaign with a tough loss to World No. 30 Sorana Cirstea of Romania in three sets, 3-6, 7-6(6), 4-6, on Friday (Manila time) in Spain.
The 18-year-old Filipino fought back from a tough first-set loss and a 5-3 deficit in the second set. She tied the frame at 5-all and getting the better of the Romanian in the extension after the latter committed a costly error that allowed for a deciding third set.
However, Eala couldn’t sustain her 3-1 start in the third after Cirstea stole the momentum winning five of the next six games to advance to the next round.
READ: Alex Eala opens WTA Madrid Open with huge upset win
Eala missed the chance to face the World No.1 Iga Swiatek, who will be taking on Cirstea in the round of 32 on Saturday.
Despite the second-round exit, the Rafael Nadal Academy graduate still earned her biggest win in her pro career so far after eliminating World No. 41 Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, on Tuesday.
Eala, currently the World No.170, saw action in the WTA Masters 1000 event as a wild card.