By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala fell short in her bid to capture her fifth pro singles title after bowing to a more experienced rival in the finals of the Kyotec Open in Petange, Luxembourg on Sunday, Nov. 19.
The ninth-seeded Eala yielded to third pick Oceane Dodin of France, 6-1, 7-5, to settle for the runner-up honors in the $40,000 International Tennis Federation (ITF) event, which serves as the Filipina’s last tournament for the season.
After being overwhelmed in the opening frame, the 18-year-old Eala showed flashes of brilliance in the next, engaging Dodin in fierce exchange of shots. But the hard-serving Dodin came through in the clutch to prevail.
Dodin unloaded 10 aces, leaving Eala in utter disappointment.
Overall, it was a successful season for the Filipina tennis sensation with two ITF titles and two runner-ups.
Her victories came in the W25 Yecla in Spain last May and the W25 Roehampton in Great Britain last August.
Eala also attempted a breakthrough win in doubles but was unsuccessful – her best showing was reaching the semis four times with different partners, including in this tournament with Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey.
In the Hangzhou Asian Games, she made history by winning two bronze medals in what could go down as the best showing by a female tennis player in decades in the quadrennial event.
For her impressive showing, Eala is expected to improve her current world ranking of 204 which bodes well to her 2024 campaign.
