MANILA — Rising Filipina tennis star Alex Eala bowed out of the Italian Open after absorbing a straight-set loss to world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in their third-round encounter in Rome.
Rybakina relied on her strong serving and consistent groundstrokes to pull off a 6-4, 6-3 victory and move on to the next stage of the tournament.
Despite the setback, Eala once again proved she can compete with the best players in the world. The young Filipina showed composure and determination throughout the match, especially during extended rallies and pressure-filled service games.
After surrendering an early break in the second set, Eala quickly responded with a break of her own to keep pace with the reigning Australian Open champion. She also fought hard in several tightly contested games, refusing to back down against the experienced Kazakh star.
In the opening set, Eala attempted a late comeback after falling behind 3-5, stretching the battle further before Rybakina closed out the frame.
The Filipina appeared ready to mount a serious challenge in the second set after taking a 2-1 lead, but Rybakina regained control behind her powerful first serves and polished all-around game.
Although her singles journey in Rome has ended, Eala leaves the tournament with another confidence-boosting performance after earlier victories against Magdalena Fręch of Poland and Wang Xinyu of China.
Eala is expected to continue her campaign in the doubles event together with partner Hailey Baptiste.
ia/xf
