Alex Eala Falls to Alexandrova in Abu Dhabi Open Quarterfinals

Alex Eala’s run in the singles draw at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open ended on Thursday as she fell in straight sets to World No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarterfinals.

The 20-year-old Filipino player lost 3-6, 3-6, struggling to recover after a slow start that left her down 0-2 in the first set. Alexandrova maintained her momentum to secure the opening set, and though Eala rallied to level at 3-3 in the second set, the experienced 31-year-old Russian raised her game to close out the match.

“She fought hard until the end. I knew it would be a tough match, and the crowd support for her was incredible,” Alexandrova said after the contest. “I enjoyed being on court and giving my best. I’m glad I could finish it in two sets, as it was challenging to the very end.”

Alexandrova will now meet either Liudmila Samsonova or Hailey Baptiste in the semifinals.

Eala, however, remains active in the doubles tournament. She is set to face Zhang Shuai and Cristina Bucsa in the quarterfinals alongside her partner, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen.