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Alex Eala bows to Czech foe, exits in first round of Mexico tourney

Sports

Alex Eala bows to Czech foe, exits in first round of Mexico tourney

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

At A Glance

Alex Eala crashed out in the first round of the Guadalajara Open after succumbing to a more experienced rival on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in Mexico.

Alex Eala crashed out in the first round of the Guadalajara Open after succumbing to a more experienced rival on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in Mexico.

The 19-year-old Eala, who had to go through two qualifying matches to make it to the main draw, bowed to sixth seed Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-2, in the 32-player field of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 500 event.

The Filipina tennis sensation broke Bouzkova’s serve only twice, while dropping her own six times in the match that lasted one hour and 36 minutes.

A victory for Eala could have arranged her a second-round meeting with Italian Lucrezia Stefanini, who bounced back from a second-set loss before turning back local bet Ana Sofia Sanchez, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2.

It was a tough match against Bouzkova, a regular Grand Slam campaigner who boasts of a WTA ranking of No. 45. The Filipina bet is 102 rungs below at No. 147.

The tournament was Eala’s second WTA event after playing in the US Open, where she came up one win short of qualifying to the main draw.

This event also showcased a strong cast composed of veteran players like 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens, former world No. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, two-time French Open winner Caroline Garcia, and 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, to name a few.

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