TENNIS – Alex Eala’s impressive run at the Canadian Open came to an abrupt end yesterday as Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic dispatched the Filipina, 6-4, 6-0, to reach the quarter-final.
The defeat snapped Eala’s seven-match winning streak and brought to a close a demanding fortnight in which the 21-year-old captured her first WTA Tour title in Washington, DC, before advancing to the round of 16 in Toronto.
Now ranked No. 20 in the world, Eala struggled to match Bencic’s consistency and pressure, particularly in the second set as the Swiss veteran closed out the match without dropping a game.
“Tough one today, I think,” Eala said afterward.
“Belinda put me in some really tough situations. I think she played very well.”
Eala also acknowledged that she was unable to regain her composure as the match moved away from her.
“I wasn’t able to kind of get myself out and, you know, out of a certain mood,” she said.
Despite the loss, Eala described her Toronto campaign as a “very good week.”
The 25th seed received a bye into the second round, where she defeated American Alycia Parks to reach the third round.
She then battled past another American, Caty McNally, in three sets to secure her place in the last 16.
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