By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala vowed to come back stronger in future tournaments after falling short of qualifying to the main draw of the prestigious Miami Open 2024 in Florida on Tuesday, March 19.
The country’s top tennis player almost won her second qualifying match over higher-ranked rival Emiliana Arango of Colombia after leading 6-2, 5-3, but suffered severe cramps that hindered her movements and led to her downfall, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6.
“Thank you Miami. I am disheartened, to say the least, that I had to finish the match being wheeled off the court,” Eala wrote on social media.
“Nevertheless, I take pride in the fact that I fought until the end. I leave here on a positive note and will be back at 100 percent in a few days,” she added.
Eala’s stint at the said Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 event started with a bang after stunning former world No. 5 and 2012 Roland Garros finalist Sara Errani of Italy, 6-3, 6-1.
But the 18-year-old couldn’t sustain that momentum against Arango despite a strong opening set.
Still, Eala is optimistic she could do better in future high-ranked tournaments.
“I definitely still have so much more to give and will be back stronger and more experienced!” she wrote.
Despite the early loss, Eala entered the week with a career-high ranking at No. 171 and is expected to further improve it next week.
She is scheduled to compete in another WTA event in Paris, France next week.
