IT was a maiden WTA title that slipped away from Alex Eala’s fingertips right at the very end.
Nonetheless, the 20-year-old Filipina tennis star put up a heroic effort in a 4-6, 6-1, 6-7(12) loss to Australia’s Maya Joint in the Lexus Eastbourne Open final on Saturday.
READ: Alex Eala denied of first tour title after falling to Maya Joint
From 5-2 up in the race to seven third-set tiebreak, Eala yielded four championship points before Joint fired back-to-back attacks to seal an exhilarating title bout that ran for two hours and 26 minutes.
With three days to go before her pro Grand Slam debut in Wimbledon, it was a monumental run that fueled Eala’s ascent to even greater heights the rest of the way.
Here’s how Filipinos reacted to Eala’s last-gasp heartbreak.
Everything to be proud of
All love for Alex, always
A future brighter than ever
Eala, PH tennis on the up
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