Alex Eala crashes out of Australian Open qualifiers first round against Croatian vet
MANILA, Philippines – Melbourne Park continues to be unkind to Alex Eala whose quest for a spot in the main draw of a Grand Slam event remains elusive.
For the third straight year, Eala has been eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open qualifying rounds after she was waylaid in straight sets by Jana Fett of Croatia, 7-5, 6-2, on Tuesday, January 7.
Aiming to become the first Filipina to earn a spot in the main draw of a Grand Slam event, Eala came into the Australian Open brimming with confidence of a breakthrough.
She realized soon enough, however, that Fett, who just last year made the second round of the French Open main draw as a lucky loser, has become a grizzled veteran and a more formidable foe.
The 28-year-old Fett broke Eala three times to zoom ahead to 5-2 in the opening set. The Filipina showed heart by winning the next two games, then saving three set points in the tenth game before eventually leveling the count at 5-5.
Eala, however, could not capitalize on her new lease in life, dropping serve anew in the 11th to allow Fett to regain control. The Croatian eventually held serve in the 12th to clinch the first set after an hour and twelve minutes.
The furious rally she staged in the opening set took its toll on Eala who could barely put up any resistance in the second set, allowing Fett to open a 4-0 advantage.
Eala managed to get on the scoreboard, trimming the deficit to 2-4. But any hopes for a turnaround were immediately dashed by Fett who swept the next two games to end the match.
The 19-year-old Eala recently attained a new career-high ranking of 138th in the world after a solid performance in last week’s WTA 125 Workday Canberra International where she reached the semifinals. Fett also played in the same tournament in Canberra and was eliminated in the first round.
It was another sorry exit in the Grand Slam for Eala who came close thrice in 2024 to making the main draw when she made the third and final qualifying rounds of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
She has, however, not won a match in three tries in the Australian Open qualifiers. – Rappler.com