CLOCKING out early in the WTA 500 Strasbourg, Alex Eala, no. 42, lost to lower-ranked Oleksandra Oliynykova, no. 66, 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, late Monday night, Manila time, in a two-hour and 52-minute match.
The Filipina, who made her way into the main draw after Hailey Baptiste withdrew from the tournament, was unable to snap the Ukrainian qualifier’s winning streak, which now stands at 3-0.
Eala blew a set advantage after struggling to start the second set, where Oliynykova picked up momentum early.
The 20-year-old erased an early 0-4 deficit in the second set to force a 5-all deadlock, but Oliynykova, 25, regained control late to extend the match into a decider.
In the third set, Eala briefly held a 3-2 edge before Oliynykova won four straight games to complete the comeback victory in Strasbourg.
The loss puts Eala's win-loss record on clay to 4-5.
It also endss Eala’s fifth clay tournament - likely her last stop before the 2026 Roland Garros French Open, which runs from May 17 to June 7.
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