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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Grand Slam winners give Eala, Sonmez reality check in Madrid Open Round of 16

Grand Slam winners give Eala, Sonmez reality check in Madrid Open Round of 16

Published Apr 25, 2026 09:19 pm

At A Glance

  • Rising stars Alex Eala and her Turkish partner Zeynep Sonmez yielded to Grand Slam champion pair Czech Kateřina Siniaková and American Taylor Townsend, 1-6, 5-7, in Round of 16 of the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open doubles event in Spain Saturday, April 25.
Alex Eala, left, and Zeynep Sonmez (Newhouse Media / WTA)
Alex Eala, left, and Zeynep Sonmez (Newhouse Media / WTA)
Rising stars Alex Eala and her Turkish partner Zeynep Sonmez yielded to Grand Slam champion pair Czech Kateřina Siniaková and American Taylor Townsend, 1-6, 5-7, in Round of 16 of the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open doubles event in Spain Saturday, April 25.
Eager to bounce back from a dismal opening set, Eala and Sönmez came out with renewed energy in the second frame, turning a once one-sided contest into a tight battle after erasing a 1-3 deficit and grabbing a 5-4 lead. However, their surge proved short-lived as battle-tested Siniaková and Townsend quickly restored order, collecting the next three games to shut down the young duo’s surge.
Up next for No. 2 seeds Siniakova and Townsend in the quarters are either against American partners in world No. 3 Coco Gauff and Robin Montgomery or pair of Norwegian Ulrikke Eikeri and US’ Quinn Gleason.
It was still an impressive outing for real-life friends Eala and Sonmez as Siniaková and Townsend are currently one of the lethal duos in the circuit, especially after winning the prestigious doubles events of Miami Open and BNP Paribas Open recently.
Prior to their exit, the Eala-Sonmez combo stamped its class and rolled past Taiwanese Chan Hao-ching and Hungarian Fanny Stollar, 6-2, 6-2, in the opening round last Thursday.
Eala concluded her campaign at Madrid Open, while Sonmez continues her quest when she faces Argentinian Solana Sierra in Round of 32 of the singles event.
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