MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis star Alex Eala bowed out of the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open after a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the quarterfinals Thursday night at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Eala, who had tied the second set at 4-4, double-faulted to give Osorio match point. Her attempt to recover from a 15-40 deficit in the final game ended when her shot went into the net.
“She’s an amazing fighter,” Osorio said after the match.
The 20-year-old Eala had earlier taken a 3-2 lead in the second set, but Osorio won the next two games to seal the victory. Eala’s first set featured a comeback from a 1-2 deficit, only for Osorio to close it 6-4.
Eala’s home tournament debut featured two wins, including a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Alina Charaeva and a 6-4, 6-0 win against Himeno Sakatsume to reach the quarterfinals.
Despite the loss, Eala expressed gratitude for the experience. “Ang importante, nandito ako sa Manila, sa Pilipinas at nandito ang WTA. Enjoy the rest of the week, I hope you all guys get inspired and learn to love tennis,” she said.
The Filipino tennis ace is set to compete next in Abu Dhabi at a WTA 500 tournament.
