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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala falls to world No. 14 Muchova in Miami Open Round of 16

Alex Eala falls to world No. 14 Muchova in Miami Open Round of 16

Published Mar 24, 2026 12:32 am

At A Glance

  • The 29-year-old Muchova, a 2023 French Open finalist, dictated the pace from start to finish, fending off Eala's late push in the second set and wrapping up the win in just an hour.
Alex Eala. (File Photo/ AP)
Alex Eala. (File Photo/ AP)
Alex Eala’s Cinderella run at the Miami Open came to an end just minutes past midnight on Tuesday, March 24 (Philippine time) as she bowed to world No. 14 Karolina Muchova, 6-0, 6-2, in their Round of 16 clash.
Entering the Grandstand court as the underdog, the 31st-seeded Filipina struggled to find answers against Muchova’s relentless plays and fell short of a quarterfinal berth in the WTA1000 event.
The 29-year-old Muchova, a 2023 French Open finalist, dictated the pace from start to finish, fending off Eala’s late push in the second set and wrapping up the win in just an hour.
The Czech standout was relentless, dominating the first 10 games to take a 6-0, 4-0 lead before Eala finally held her serve in the fifth game of the second set to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Muchova held steady for 5-1, but Eala showed fight, holding serve again to make it 5-2, only for the Czech to seal the match and end the Filipina’s remarkable run.
Before falling to Muchova, Eala earned an opening-round bye and fought past Laura Siegemund, 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-3, and Magda Linette, 6-3, 7-6 (2), to reach the Round of 16.
The defeat, however, fell short of her historic run last year, when she defeated three Grand Slam champions en route to a semifinal finish.
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