Alex Eala stopped by Amanda Anisimova in Cincinnati Open third round
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines reacts during a match against Amanda Anisimova of the United States on day seven of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines–Riding a five-match winning run against top-10 players, Alex Eala couldn’t keep her hot streak going after a 6-4, 4-6, 2-6 loss to World No. 10 Amanda Anisimova in the Cincinnati Open third round at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
The 17th seed Eala faltered when it mattered most after she squandered a 2-0 lead in the deciding set.
Anisimova scraped past Eala and advanced to the round of 16 against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova after overcoming an error-prone performance.
READ: Fresher Alex Eala clashes with another top-10 player in Anisimova
Anisimova was NOT losing this point 😤#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/pA3m2oknEI
— Cincinnati Open (@CincyTennis) August 18, 2026
The 24-year-old American found her rhythm in the third game of the final set and never looked back, but the turning point of the match came in the sixth game of the second set, where she managed to pull through and hold serve despite committing three double faults.
“Alex is such a great player and such a fighter, so I knew it was really going to be a tough match,” said Anisimova, who closed out Eala by winning 16 of the last 19 points of the match.
“I’m really proud of this performance for being able to find a way and kind of push myself there in the middle of the match,” she added. “I’m really happy with the way I was able to find my tennis and start fighting. It was a really, really tough match and credit to her, she was really playing some great tennis.”
Eala, coming off a round-of-16 stint in Toronto and a WTA 500 title in Washington, led 3-2 in the second set after holding to love and found herself at break point, 40-30, after Anisimova double-faulted for a third time in the sixth game.
Luckily for Anisimova, Eala had crucial lapses of her own that prevented her from establishing a 4-2 cushion.
READ: Anisimova looks to ‘thrive’ off crowd energy in Alex Eala match
Amanda Anisimova of the United States returns a shot during a match against Alexandra Eala of the Philippines on day seven of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
The first meeting between the two didn’t disappoint, with neither one giving an inch in a neck-and-neck duel. The opening set lasted an hour and seven minutes, which included a grueling 20-minute fifth game won by Eala after 13 deuces and eight break points blown by Anisimova.
Following an early exit in Cincinnati, the Filipino baseliner shifts her focus to the US Open in New York for the final stop of her North American swing.
In her best season yet, Eala will be aiming for her first Grand Slam trophy in just her second appearance in the main draw of the US Open. She reached the second round in New York after a thrilling three-set win over Clara Tauson last year.
Eala is also competing in a star-studded mixed doubles event after she and Canadian World No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime received a wild card entry.
