By NIKOLE JAVIER
Alex Eala outlasted Destanee Aiava of Australia in a tense showdown, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, and advanced to the quarterfinal of the Roehampton W25K on Thursday, August 10 at The National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, Great Britain.
Playing as if they were not doubles partners, Eala and Aiava engaged each other in a see-saw affair, but the Filipino star proved to be steadier and smarter at crunch time to prevail.
So tight was their match that when they teamed up for a doubles match, they suffered a 6-1, 7-5 defeat to Australian pair of Petra Hule and Talia.
Eala and partner struggled big time in the opening set – obviously tired from their match.
In the second set, the top seed duo of Hule-Gibson sunk to a 0-2 hole once the Filipina-Aussie tandem recovered and gathered steam.
Though it didn’t take long for the Aussie pair to jump to a 4-2 lead, Eala and Aiava took over once more for a slim advantage after winning three straight sets.
Despite Eala and Aiava’s determined fightback for an equalizer, it was a service winner that ultimately ended the match.
With the doubles event now done and dusted, Eala, seeded sixth, needs to recover fast and well as she will be up against top seed Priscilla Hon of Australia on Friday afternoon.
Still tired from a tight schedule in the opening day where she played both singles and doubles matches, Eala dropped her serve in the opening set and never recovered.
Eala, 18, rediscovered her rhythm in the second set, engaging Aiava in fierce exchange of shots before finally winning the crucial 12th game.
That reinvigorated Eala further and dictated the tempo of the match.
