By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala made an early exit at the W60 Canberra International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Australia Monday, Jan. 2, after yielding to a familiar foe.
The 17-year-old three-time Grand Slam Juniors champion suffered a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva in the second round of the qualifiers in this $60,000 event.
Selekhmeteva was Eala’s partner when the Filipino teen won the 2021 French Open Girls Doubles title.
Prior to her defeat, Eala scored a 6-3, 7-6 (0) victory over Mexico’s Marcela Zacarias.
But Eala appeared to have lost her steam in the last two sets against Selekhmeteva.
Eala is expected to see action in the qualifying rounds of the 2023 Australian Open slated Jan. 16 to 29, which serves as her first match in the pro level of a Grand Slam.
She has appeared in the Junior Grand Slams where she won Doubles titles in the 2020 Australian Open and 2021 French Open, as well as one Girls Singles crown in the 2022 US Open.
