By el Amigo
MANILA — Alex Eala came within striking distance of extending her Ningbo Open campaign but could not overcome world No. 13 Diana Shnaider, falling 7-5, 6-4 in their Round of 16 clash Thursday night in China.
The Filipina star battled the sixth-seeded Russian for nearly two hours at the WTA 500 tournament, producing a spirited challenge before Shnaider delivered the decisive blows in both sets.
Eala, ranked No. 20 in the world, had her chances in the opening set but struggled to capitalize on crucial moments against the aggressive Russian.
After Shnaider took a 5-4 lead, Eala fought back to level the score at 5-5. However, the Russian regained control, breaking Eala before holding serve to clinch the set, 7-5.
The second set proved equally demanding, with both players trading breaks as Eala kept herself within reach.
The Filipina eventually moved ahead, 4-3, but Shnaider responded with two consecutive games to take a 5-4 advantage.
Eala refused to surrender, saving six match points before Shnaider finally converted her seventh opportunity to complete the victory.
The defeat ended Eala’s Ningbo campaign after she opened the tournament with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Diane Parry.
The Filipina will next compete in the WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, followed by the Hong Kong Tennis Open as she seeks a stronger finish to her Asian swing.
