By MARK REY MONTEJO
Alex Eala got off to a roaring start but lost her steam and succumbed to reigning champion Rebecca Marino of Canada, 6-1, 0-6, 6-7 (7), in the quarterfinal round of the Lexus Ilkley Open in Great Britain Friday, June 13.
The 20-year-Old Eala dominated early on then all of a sudden her shots went awry and failed to win a single game in the second set.
Eala managed to force a tiebreaker in the third where she was able to seize a 2-1 lead but it was her final stand as Marino, 34, showed season composure by answering power hits before clinching her semifinal ticket.
Marino now awaits for her semis foe between British Amarni Banks and Swiss Celine Naef who are currently duking it out in their quarters showdown.
Before her elimination, Eala essayed a 7-6 (4), 6-3 triumph over Fil-Australian Lizzette Cabrera for her opening assignment,
Then she followed it up with a sweet 6-1, 6-2 redemption win over Swiss qualifier Valentina Ryser.
It was a better outing this time for the double Asian Games bronze medalist in Hangzhou after a quick exit in the Birmingham Open where she crashed out to Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-1, earlier this month.
Eala’s stint on grass courts is part of her build-up for the upcoming Wimbledon Open – slated June 30 to July 13 – where she sets for her main draw debut in the most prestigious and oldest Grand Slam tournament in the globe.
Fresh off two dominant triumphs in the previous round, Eala continued her brilliance on grass as she immediately put Marino under heavy pressure with a variety of wicked shots from the baseline.
And despite the momentum was on Eala’s side, Marino proved that experience remained vital in sport as she stormed back and didn’t let the WTA No. 77 snatch a game.
In third canto, Eala and Marino went on a nip-and-tuck affair that led them into a tiebreaking contest where the latter stood out and took a 4-2 lead before she wrapped up the pulse-pounding quarters match that lasted for one hour and 47 minutes.
