ALEX EALA slightly dipped in the recent Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after another early exit in the WTA 125 Mumbai in India.
From No. 137, Ms. Eala tripped to No. 139 albeit remained in the elite circle of Top 150 players in the world in her budding career.
The 19-year-old Filipina sensation reached as high as No. 134 — her career-best just yet — last month after a semifinal finish in the Workday Canberra International.
Ms. Eala last week bowed to lower-ranked Japanese Mai Hontama, 7-6(5), 6-2, in the second round of the Mumbai tourney to miss out on a quarterfinal appearance.
Prior to that, the graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain also absorbed a second-round exit in the Singapore Open qualifiers against Switzerland’s Simona Waltert, 6-3, 6-2.
She also had a second exit in the main draw of the W100 Bengaluru against Slovenia’s Dalila Jakupovic, 6-4, 6-4.
Ms. Eala’s drought started in the Australian Open, where she aimed to become the first Filipina player to make it to the main draw, last month after her stunning elimination in Round 1 of the qualifiers with a 7-5, 6-2 defeat to Croatia’s Jana Fett. — John Bryan Ulanday
