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| Alex about to unleash one of her powerful shots |
Alex Eala crashed out from the doubles tournament at the opening of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open today in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, to the dismay of hundreds of her Filipino fans who trooped to the venue to watch her play.
The 20-year-old Eala lost with her partner from Taiwan Chan Hao-ching, to the Russian pair of Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Kamilla Rakhimova, 6-3- 6-1, 10-7.
But Eala said at a press conference after the game that the loss was a blessing in disguise at it
frees her of some pressure once she starts her singles campaign tomorrow
(Tuesday) against Katie Boulter of the United Kingdom.
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| Alex and Hao-ching are still all smiles at a press conference despite their loss |
“I'm hungry for one last hurrah,” she told a post-game press conference, noting that the Hong kong Open was her last tournament for the year.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
Eala and Chan easily won the first set after they took turns
guarding the net, surprising the Russian pair with sharp volleys amid the loud
cheers of the crowd, many of whom flew in from the Philippines to watch the
tournament.
The tide turned in the second set, however, as Rakhimova and
Sasnovich raced to a 5-0 lead behind Rakhimova’s sniping from the net and serve
aimed at Chan, before both sides scored a point each.
The trend continued in the tiebreaker, with the Russians
mounting a 6-2 lead, before closing the game at 10-6.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
The Russians advance to the second round against Moyuki Uchijima of
Japan and Sabrina Santamaria of the US on Oct. 30.
Despite the loss, Eala was clearly the darling of the crowd, with fans waiting outside screaming as she left the court. She stopped and autographed hats and balls.
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| Alex Eala (in red shoes) autographs fans' caps and balls after the game. |
She and Chan were later called to the press room for an interview.
Some of the Filipinos who watched today’s games, which were
free today, had booked hotel rooms and tournament tickets until Nov. 2, hoping to
watch Eala survive the eliminations and fight for the championship trophy on the
final day.
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| One of Alex's many fans who flew in from the Philippines hangs by the exit for a chance to have her autograph |
