Filipina tennis star Alex Eala was shown the exit door after absorbing a painful, 4-6, 2-6, loss to Russia’s Valeria Savinykh in the W40 Palma del Rio quarterfinal at the Asociación de Tenistas Palmeños-Polideportivo in Spain early Saturday (Manila time).
Eala never found her groove in the one-hour and 39-minute match as the third seed Russian easily dismantled the No. 6 seed Pinay netter.
The 32-year-old Savinykh will play Tamira Paszek of Austria in the semifinal.
Eala was on the right track to another title romp after ruling the W25 Yecla women’s singles also in Spain just last month.
Eala silenced hometown bet Leonor Sonar Denoso, 6-3, 6-2, in the Round of 32 to begin her campaign before sweeping Australia’s Talia Gibson, 6-3, 6-1, to book a quarterfinal seat.
The 18-year-old Filipina, however, hit a brick wall in Savinykh.
Eala, an Rafael Nadal Academy alumnus looking for her fourth professional singles title and her first championship since graduating last June, beat Swiss Valentina Ryser, 6-3, 7-5, in the W25 Yecla women’s singles final.
The Women’s Tennis Association world No. 261 Eala is slated to debut in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China opening on 23 September.
