FILIPINA ace Alex Eala will now shift her focus to singles after she and partner Iva Jovic failed to reach the second round of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open.
Playing Sunday morning (Manila time), Eala and Jovic bowed to the pair of Jelena Ostapenko and Hailey Baptiste, 2-6, 2-6, to see the end to their campaign.
The Eala-Jovic tandem struggled to find rhythm from the start against the experienced Ostapenko and rising American Baptiste.
They managed to get on the board only in the fifth game of the opening set, but their opponents maintained control to close it out, 6-2.
The second set followed a similar script, as Eala and Jovic fell behind early, trailing 1-4 before Ostapenko and Baptiste sealed the straight-sets victory.
Eala, however, remains alive in singles, as she advances to the Round of 32, where she is set for a rematch against world No. 4 Coco Gauff, who defeated her in Dubai Tennis Championships.
READ: Eala edges out Ukranian foe for winning start in Indian Wells
It was not the first time Eala and Jovic teamed up. The pair reached the semifinals of the ASB Classic in January.
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