By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala’s bid for a first-ever pro doubles title was again foiled after she and Japanese partner Natsumi Kawaguchi lost to British second seed Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls, 6-0, 5-7, 10-6, in the semis of the W100 Tokyo International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament on Friday, Sept. 8, in Japan.
After a lackluster showing in the opening set, the unseeded Filipino-Japanese pair fought back furiously that enabled them to get back in the thick of things.
Unfortunately for the two, especially for Eala, their British rivals found their second wind and raced to a 6-3 lead and never looked back.
This was the second time this year that Eala fell to the British pair.
Last March, the 18-year-old Filipina and her Lithuanian partner Justina Mikulskyte also lost to Barnett and Nicholls, 6-4, 6-1, in the W60 Trnava in Slovakia.
This was also Eala’s eighth appearance in a doubles event this year and third semis finish.
A victory for Eala and Kawaguchi could have arranged them a finals meeting with the winner between Chinese tandem Wang Xiyu and Ye Yuan, and France’s Jessika Ponchet and Netherlands’ Bibiane Schoofs, who are playing at press time.
Prior to their loss to Barnett and Nicholls, Eala and Kawaguchi edged Thai veterans Luksika Kumkhum and Peangtarn Plipuech, 6-4, 7-6 (3), in the opening round, and third seed Natela Dzalamidze of Georgia and Sofya Lansere, 4-6, 6-3, 12-10, in the quarterfinals.
