At A Glance
- The unseeded Eala, ranked No. 33 in the world, struggled to match the sixth-seeded Jovic and bowed out after just 76 minutes.
Alex Eala. (File Photo/ AP)
Alex Eala suffered another defeat at the hands of close friend Iva Jovic, 2-6, 2-6, in the second round of the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club on Wednesday, June 10.
The unseeded Eala, ranked No. 33 in the world, struggled to match the sixth-seeded Jovic and bowed out after just 76 minutes.
This was Eala's second loss to Jovic since yielding in the first round of the French Open in straight sets.
A victory would have sent Eala to the quarterfinals, where she would have faced the winner of the match between second seed Amanda Anisimova and Laura Siegemund.
Jovic, ranked No. 19 in the world, dictated the tempo from the outset and raced to a 3-1 lead before comfortably taking the first set.
The American maintained her dominance in the second set, fending off Eala’s attempts to mount a comeback and sealing the match victory.
Overall, Jovic was broken only once while converting five break points against Eala to secure her place in the quarterfinals.
Eala, fresh from winning the Birmingham Classic over the weekend, will next see action in the Berlin Tennis Open in Germany starting June 15 where she is listed in the qualifying round.