Alex Eala’s singles run at the Abu Dhabi Open bowed out Thursday night, not with fireworks but with a firm handshake from reality. No miracle rally arrived. No late twist. Just a polished reminder of what a top-tier opponent looks like when she decides to get straight to business.
World No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova played the villain with purpose, muting the crowd and keeping sentiment on a short leash. Seeded second in the WTA 500 event, the Russian delivered a brisk 6-3, 6-3 decision that never quite slipped from her grip. Whenever Eala threatened to stir the arena, Alexandrova calmly shut the door and double-checked the lock.
The Filipina had the fans on her side and flashes of brilliance in her racket, but Alexandrova’s serve was the real headliner. Four aces, six of eight break points erased, and a stubborn habit of breaking serve made sure momentum never lingered too long on Eala’s side of the net.
Eala finished without an ace and won only half of the break points she faced, a slim margin against a player who thrives on precision.
And yet, this was no footnote week for the 20-year-old world No. 45. A quarterfinal finish earned Eala 108 ranking points and USD35,000 from a USD1.2 million purse, the kind of steady climb that turns promise into permanence. More importantly, she looked comfortable trading blows on a stage built for the elite.
Alexandrova moves on with at least 195 points and USD 66,000 secured, setting up a semifinal clash against either Hailey Baptiste or Liudmila Samsonova.
Eala, meanwhile, is not done writing chapters in Abu Dhabi.
Her focus now shifts to doubles, where she teams up with Indonesia’s Janice Tjen against Zhang Shuai of China and Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. Different format, same ambition. The singles story may have ended, but Eala still has a semifinal to chase and she looks more than ready to chase it loudly. The double’s match is expected to start after midnight Friday, Manila time.
