The door was firmly shut on Filipino tennis star Alex Eala’s US Open run, as she bowed out in the second round with a straight-sets loss to Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, 6-4, 6-3.
Riding high after a stunning upset over World No. 14 Clara Tauson just two days prior, the 75th-ranked Eala entered the match with confidence against Bucsa, who sat 20 spots below her in the rankings at No. 95.
Eala started strong, but Bucsa quickly found her rhythm. The Spaniard fired three aces and won 30 points off her first serves during the entire contest, outpacing Eala’s 25. The Filipina, notably, didn’t record a single ace throughout the match.
The 20-year-old Eala, who made history as the first Filipina to compete in the US Open singles main draw, had opportunities but couldn’t capitalize. She converted only three of nine break points, while Bucsa made good on six of her eight chances.
The Flushing Meadows crowd rallied behind Eala, but Bucsa stayed composed, never allowing her opponent to gain momentum or stage a serious comeback.
With the win, Bucsa advances to the third round of the Grand Slam event for the first time in her career.
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