HER all wasn't enough for Alex Eala to overcome the gritty Amanda Anisimova.
The 20-year old Filipina lost to Anisimova, 10, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, on Tuesday as the American world No. fought back from a set down and leaned on her experience to close out the two-hour, 30-minute battle at the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open.
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The loss put an end to Eala's campaign at the Round of 32 stage of the WTA 1000 event -her final Masters-level tournament before the 2026 US Open as well as the third stop in her North American hard-court swing.
Anisimova, a former world No. 3 who has four WTA titles under her belt, advanced to the round of 16 while Eala saw her record against Top 10 opponents drop to 10-5.
The American admitted she was tested by Eala throughout the match, and paid tribute to the Filipina for making it a difficult battle for her.
“Alex is such a great player and a fighter, so I knew it was going to be a really tough match,” she said.
Acknowledging the support she received from the Cincinnati crowd, she continued: “I got a bit of support tonight, and I appreciate that because I know how loved Alex is.”
In the emotional match of wildly swinging fortunes, Eala made a strong start, breaking for a 2-1 lead then winning three straight games from 3-4 down to take the first set.
Anisimova, however, broke loose from a 3-3 deadlock in the second set to win three of the next four games and force a decider. She carried that momentum into the final set, racing to a 5-2 lead before closing out Eala's last-gasp comeback.
“I’m really proud of this performance, to be able to find a way. It’s a really tough match,” Anisimova said. “Credit to her, she’s been playing great tennis.”
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