MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala’s campaign at the Qatar Open ended early Monday night (Manila time) after the Filipino tennis standout fell to Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova in the round of 64.
Seeking a deep run in her first WTA 1000 tournament of the year, Eala instead encountered a formidable challenge in the 18-year-old Valentova, who prevailed 7-6(6), 6-1 to advance to the second round against fellow Czech Karolina Muchova.
Valentova staged a comeback in the opening set, erasing a 4-2 deficit before dominating the second set with a 5-0 start. She finished the match with four aces and leaned on a strong service game to secure the victory.
The defeat marked Eala’s second loss to Valentova in four months, following a 6-1, 6-2 setback in the Japan Open round of 32 last October.
Despite the early exit, Eala is expected to quickly return to action. The 20-year-old world No. 40 will continue her Middle Eastern swing at the Dubai Tennis Championships scheduled from Feb. 15 to 21 in the United Arab Emirates.
Eala recently posted an impressive showing at the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open, where she reached the singles quarterfinals and doubles semifinals less than a week before the Qatar tournament.