FILIPINA tennis ace Alex Eala ends 2021 with a gallant finish.
The 16-year-old sensation just capped off her journey in the 2021 Junior Orange Bowl Tennis Championships in Plantation, Florida, USA with a finish in the quarterfinals of the Girls' 18-under Doubles.
Eala and her partner Solana Sierra of Argentina bowed down to Chelsea Fontenel of Switzerland and home bet Qavia Lopez, 6-3, 5-7, 2-10, on Saturday morning, Philippine time.
This put an end to the Pinay's final competition of the year, as she also exited the Singles' title run after a second-round finish earlier in the week.
Alex Eala at the Orange Bowl doubles
The third-seeded pair, however, initially defeated Americans Krystal Blanch and Madeleine Jessup in their opener, and Russian Mirra Andreeva and Katja Wiersholm of USA in the second round before booking a ticket to the QF.
In 2019, Eala won the doubles crown of the 18-U Girls with Evialina Laskevich of Belarus.
However, the Juniors World No. 3 is glad to have made it this far in a very eventful year in her career.
"I completed my 2021 Tournament season today with a Quarter Finals finish in Doubles of the Junior Orange Bowl. Thank you to all of you for always virtually cheering me on. Next up - Pre-Season Training for 2022," she said.
Last June, she won her second grand slam title after conquering the 2021 French Open Girls' Doubles with Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva. And last January, she also clinched her first maiden pro title in the first leg of W15 Manacor, in Mallorca Spain.
Eala still has two years left in the juniors' division before she fully turns pro.
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