MANILA – Fresh off her biggest career triumph in Mexico, Filipina tennis ace Alexandra Eala crashed out early at the São Paulo Open as she was stunned by Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in the quarterfinals, 6-4, 6-1, on Saturday in Brazil.
The third-seeded Eala, ranked No. 55 in the world, looked in control early with a 3-0 lead in the opening set before the No. 130-ranked Tjen turned the tables with blistering groundstrokes and 23 winners to snatch the frame.
Eala briefly held serve in the second set but quickly unraveled against Tjen’s relentless forehand and two decisive service breaks that sealed the upset.
“It feels unbelievable. I was focusing on every point. We know Alex Eala can come back anytime,” Tjen said after her breakthrough win. She credited her improved serve as a weapon: “We’ve been working on it so it’s nice that it’s coming along.”
The loss cut short Eala’s campaign just a week after her career-defining Guadalajara 125 championship, where she emerged as Asia’s rising star. But the grueling back-to-back WTA schedule may have caught up with the 20-year-old, who appeared drained in the second frame.
Still, Eala’s steady climb in the rankings and her growing international reputation remain intact, even as Tjen moves on to the semifinals carrying the momentum of her biggest scalp to date./PN
