A young and promising 17-year-old Filipino tennis star, Alex Eala, competed in her first grand slam in Australia. She lost to number 85-ranked Japanese Misaki Doi two sets to one (6-4, 6-7, 3-6) in Melbourne’s first round Monday morning (Manila time).
It was a baptism of fire for the Quezon City-born lefty who is the highest ranked — Current WTA rank 215 — Filipina tennis player in the game’s history. She faced the 31-year-old veteran Doi after a promising start to her professional career.
She won the US Open junior singles championship last year in New York to qualify for her first grand slam in the professional circuit. The game reflected the growing pains of facing seasoned players for the first time in her young career.
She had a promising start, winning the first set 6-4, but lost the second set on the thinnest of margins, a heartbreaking 6-7 score that took the wind out of her sails. Doi closed it out with a decisive 6-3 score in the tiebreaker.
https://ausopen.com/match/2023-misaki-doi-vs-alexandra-eala-wq154#!media?g=video-6318383616112
Ella had four double faults compared to one from Doi. The Japanese also won more points, 103 to Eala’s 96.
We wanted a different start from this Filipina gem, but she will surely pick up the pieces and rise from this better than ever. The country is looking forward to seeing our new rising tennis star, Alex Eala conquer new heights in the new year.
Alex Eala trained in the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain when she was 12 years old and has won grand slams in junior doubles tournaments in the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 French Open.
