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Eala, partner yield in Canberra semis

Sports

Eala, partner yield in Canberra semis

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

At A Glance

Alex Eala and Brazilian partner Laura Pigossi fell short in their bid in the Workday Canberra International after succumbing in the semifinals Friday, Jan. 5, in Australia.

Alex Eala and Brazilian partner Laura Pigossi fell short in their bid in the Workday Canberra International after succumbing in the semifinals Friday, Jan. 5, in Australia.

alex eala 12435r — Alex Eala and Laura Pigossi lost in the semifinals of the Workday Canberra International. (File Photo/Alex Eala Facebook)

The unseeded pair, who advanced in the semis via default at the expense of fourth seed Celine Naef of Switzerland and Anna Bondar of Hungary, fought hometown bet Kaylah McPhee and Astra Sharma but lost steam in the crunch to yield 7-6 (1), 6-3, in the $125,000 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournament.

Eala and Pigossi were actually leading 5-3 in the first frame before McPhee and Sharma launched their assault to claim the set via tiebreak.

The Australians banked on that set victory and went on to lead 4-0 in the second set, but Eala and Pigossi refused to give up by trimming their deficit to 5-3 before McPhee and Sharma took the ninth game and the match win.

Despite the early defeat, Eala is using her doubles semis appearance as a springboard to her campaign at the 2024 Australian Open where she earned a berth in the qualifying round.

The 18-year-old Filipina tennis sensation aims to make heads turn and eclipse her first-round qualifying finish in the said Grand Slam last year.

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Alex Eala

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