By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala’s fairy-tale start at the US Open in New York came to a screeching halt – and she was almost reduced to tears.
Her racket unable to produce the magical shots that bewildered world No. 14 Clara Tauson in the opener on Monday, Eala fell to unseeded Cristina Bucsa, 6-4, 6-3, in the second round early Thursday, Aug. 28 (Philippine time).
The 20-year-old Eala took a 4-3 lead in the opening set but eventually faded, dropping her serve three times in the second that spelled doom to her ambitious bid in the Grand Slam event.
Despite the loss, Eala will leave her favorite city with a historic milestone under her belt — securing her first-ever Grand Slam main draw victory in the opening round against Tauson just days earlier.
Not only that, Eala is sure to pocket $154,000 (roughly P8.7 million) – thanks to a 6-3, 2-6, 7(13)-6(11) win over Tauson of Denmark, a feat
It was a close fight early in the match, with both players breaking back each other’s serves in the first two games.
But the world No. 95 Bucsa, who is ranked 20 rungs lower than Eala, showed her grit in the eighth game to level the match at 4-all
The top Filipina tennis player refused to give up the fight, breaking her opponent’s serve in the sixth game to tie the count at 3-all, but it turned out to be her last stand as Bucsa went on to win the next three games en route to the match victory.
Errors – and a double fault – proved costly for Eala as she was undone in just an hour and 22 minutes.
The win was a revenge of sorts for Bucsa after losing to Eala in 2021 in an ITF event in France.
