MANILA — Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams bowed out of the Bad Homburg Open women’s doubles after suffering a straight-set defeat to second seeds Olivia Nicholls of Great Britain and Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Germany.
The British-Slovak pair advanced to the semifinals of the WTA 500 grass-court tournament with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory, capitalizing on their superior serving and break-point efficiency to end the Eala-Williams partnership’s promising run.
Eala and Williams struggled to convert scoring opportunities, winning just three of their seven break-point chances, while Nicholls and Mihalikova made the most of their opportunities by converting seven of nine break points.
Although both teams committed six double faults and failed to register an ace, the second seeds dominated behind stronger service performances.
Nicholls and Mihalikova won 63 percent of their first-serve points and 75 percent of their second-serve points, compared to just 49 percent and 57 percent, respectively, for Eala and Williams.
The European tandem also controlled the match statistically, winning 59 total points against 47, taking 12 games to only five, and finishing with advantages in both receiving points won (31-22) and service points won (28-25). They also claimed five service games, while Eala and Williams managed only two.
Despite the quarterfinal exit, Eala concluded an encouraging grass-court doubles campaign after teaming up with Williams in preparation for Wimbledon, gaining valuable experience alongside one of the sport’s most decorated players./PN
