Alex Eala got off to a rousing start but eventually lost momentum against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, in the quarterfinals of the ITF W100 Takasaki in Japan Friday, Nov. 22.

Eala, 19, flexed her might in the opening set but her Thai rival gained momentum to frustrate the Filipina player in an almost two-hour match.

Sawangkaew set up a semifinal clash against second seed Sijia Wei of China, while the other pairing features Indonesia’s Priska Madelyn Nugroho and hometown favorite Aoi Ito.

Before her exit, the Asiad and SEAG bronze medalist decimated Japanese bets Ena Koike (6-2, 6-0) and Hayu Kinoshita (6-3, 4-6, 7-5).