By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala exited early in the 2025 Australian Open after bowing to hard-serving Jana Fett of Croatia, 7-5, 6-2, in the first qualifying round on Tuesday, Jan. 7, in Melbourne.
The world No. 138 Eala gave it her all in the first of three qualifying rounds but her best was not enough against the veteran Croatian who is ranked at No. 134.
The Croatian needed almost two hours to march on as Eala tried to match her power stroke for stroke to no avail.
The 19-year-old Filipina tennis ace started out strong after breaking her rival’s serve for a 2-0 lead, but Fett fought back relentless to win the next five games that gave her a 5-2 advantage.
Eala, however, retaliated by breaking Fett’s serve twice to claim the next three games and tie the match at 5-all, before the Croatian regained her composure and won the 11th and 12th game for the set win.
Fett kept her momentum in the second frame by blitzing to a 4-0 lead before Eala finally found her groove back and held her serve in the fifth game.
The Filipina also needed two deuces to break Fett’s serve in the sixth game to still trail at 4-2, but it proved to be her last stand.
A victory for Eala could have arranged her a second-round qualifying meeting with Austrian Sinja Kraus, who routed Viktoria Hruncakova of Slovakia, 6-1, 6-2.
This was Eala’s second tournament for the season, having reached the semifinals of the Workday Canberra International WTA event also in Australia last week.
