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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Eala, partner fall in Birmingham Open

Eala, partner fall in Birmingham Open

Published Jun 2, 2026 01:44 pm

At A Glance

  • The unseeded duo fought back to force a deciding match tiebreak after dropping the first set, but eventually fell short against second pick Harriet Dart and Maia Lunsden, 4-6, 6-2, 9-11.
Alex Eala. (File Photo/ AP)
Alex Eala. (File Photo/ AP)
Alex Eala’s grass court campaign got off to a disappointing start as she and Czech partner Nikola Bartunkova bowed out in the opening round doubles of the WTA Birmingham Open in Great Britain on Monday, June 1.
The unseeded duo fought back to force a deciding match tiebreak after dropping the first set, but eventually fell short against second pick Harriet Dart and Maia Lunsden, 4-6, 6-2, 9-11.
The WTA 125 tournament came just days after Eala ended her clay court campaign with a first-round exit at the French Open. It also marked the start of her preparations for the grass court season leading up to the Wimbledon Championships.
Still, Eala remains in contention in this event as she takes on Priscilla Hon in the opening round of the singles at press time.
Eala enjoys the top seeding, carrying a world ranking of No. 37 entering the tournament.
However, Eala and Hon are no strangers to each other, having split their two previous meetings. The Filipina ace won their first meet in the quarterfinals of the Roehampton 2 in 2023, while Hon got her revenge in the qualifying round of the Ningbo Open in China in 2024.

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