Alex Eala failed to carry the momentum of her upset victory in the opening round after succumbing to a more experienced rival in the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria women’s tennis tournament in Spain on Thursday.
Eala yielded to Belgian qualifier Lara Salden, 6-0, 2-6, 6-2, in the second round of the said International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour after one hour and 51 minutes.
The 15-year-old PH bet struggled with seven double faults and dropped her serve twice in the third set including the eighth game that sealed Salden’s win.
A victory against Salden could have earned her a quarterfinal appearance.
Eala, who entered the event via wildcard, is coming off a stunning 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over eighth seed Francesca Jones of Great Britain on Wednesday, but couldn’t pull of the same intensity against Salden.
Despite the defeat, Eala treasures the experience as it serves as her first women’s event in the $25,000 level.