MANILA – Filipina tennis ace Alexandra Eala saw her Australian Open women’s singles campaign cut short after yielding to American Alycia Parks in the first round on Monday in Melbourne.
Eala, the world No. 49, came out firing and dominated the opening set, blanking Parks 6-0 behind sharp returning and steady baseline play that repeatedly pressured the American’s serve.
The match, however, swung in the opposite direction in the next two sets as the world No. 100 Parks leaned on her powerful service game to regain control.
Parks took the second and third sets, 6-3 and 6-2, to seal the comeback victory.
Parks finished with a commanding edge in aces, unloading 12 compared to Eala’s one, and also outscored the Filipina in service points, 52-41.
Still, Eala held her own in several statistical categories, narrowly winning the total points battle, 83-81, and posting a higher first-serve percentage at 93 percent against Parks’ 90 percent.
The difference came in break-point efficiency, with Eala converting just four of 17 chances, while Parks maximized her opportunities by converting four of eight.
Parks also controlled more receiving points, 42-29, which proved crucial in the latter stages of the match.
Despite the singles exit, the Victorias City, Negros Occidental native Eala’s Australian Open campaign continues as she shifts her focus to doubles.
She is set to partner Brazilian Ingrid Martins in the women’s doubles first round on Tuesday morning against the team of Poland’s Magda Linette and Japan’s Shuko Aoyama./PN
