MANILA — Alex Eala’s campaign at the Bad Homburg Open ended in the first round early Tuesday after the Filipino tennis star lost to Belgium’s Elise Mertens, 6-3, 6-3.
Eala entered the WTA 500 tournament fresh off a semifinal finish at the Berlin Open, where she recorded the best result of her career at the event.
The 21-year-old started strongly against Mertens and built a 3-1 lead in the opening set before the Belgian mounted a comeback.
Mertens relied on a steady serve and won eight consecutive games to take control of the match and secure a spot in the Round of 16.
The victory extended Mertens’ unbeaten record against Eala to 3-0.
Mertens first defeated Eala at the 2023 Jasmin Open in Monastir, Tunisia, winning 7-5, 6-0. She followed that up with a 6-2, 6-1 victory in the Round of 64 of the Madrid Open in April this year.
The loss also denied Eala a potential Round of 16 meeting with four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
Despite the early exit, Eala is coming off a strong run in Berlin, where she advanced to the semifinals and returned to the WTA Top 30 rankings.
