By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
For the second straight week, Alex Eala fell short in her semifinal match Friday, this time, to hometown bet Eva Guerrero Alvarez, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, at the W25 El Espinar/Segovia International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Spain.
Unable to sustain her second set uprising, Eala bowed to Guerrero Alvarez, a familiar foe whom she beat the first time at the W25 Corroios-Seixal in Portugal early this month.
Last week, Eala also failed to make the final of the ITF Spain 20A after bowing to French rival Jessika Ponchet, 6-4, 6-4.
Prior to the loss, Eala had straight set victories against Maria Bondarenko, 6-4, 6-3; United States’ Amy Zhu, 6-4, 6-3; and Spain’s Rosa Vicens Mas, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4).
Despite the defeat, Eala remains upbeat about her chances in her next tournament, the W100K Grodizisk Mazowiecki in Poland starting Monday.
“Good run this week as I finished as a semifinalist in this W25 tournament at El Espinar, Spain,” Eala said.
This would be Eala’s first $100,000 tournament.
