ALEX Eala fell short of reaching the main draw of the French Open on her 19th birthday, losing in her final qualifying match on Thursday.
Eala looked headed to a sweep before losing the second-set tiebreak and the match to Julia Riera, 6-4, 6(3)-7, 4-6.
Eala loses steam
The Filipina hitter lost steam against Riera, who was seeded No. 2 in the qualifying tournament, and fell a win from reaching the main draw of a grand slam for the first time as a pro.
Despite the loss, Eala still had a productive outing in Roland Garros, clinching her first two match wins in a grand slam qualifying tournament.
The world no. 160 won three grand slam titles as a junior player, including the girls’ doubles title in the French Open, but has yet to reach the main draw as a pro in any grand slam.
Eala started strongly in Set One and battled admirably in Set 2, where they reached a tiebreak at 6-all.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
