Filipina sensation Alex Eala’s Linz Open campaign came to an end in Austria on Wednesday after a disappointing defeat against former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
The 20-year-old blew great starts in both sets (4-2 and 5-1) to go down 4-6 5-7 against the Latvian star in the round of 16.
In her first clay court tournament of the season, Eala was impressive in her opening match against Julia Grabher of Austria, winning the round of 32 clash 6-4 6-3 on Tuesday.
Eala controlled the rallies against Ostapenko on Wednesday only to lose the momentum as the 28-year-old pounced on the youngster’s mistakes to grab a come-from-behind win.
“She’s a great player. And you know, this year, some good things are happening. I’m beating players that I never beat before, so it means I’m on the right way,” said Ostapenko, who lost to Eala at the Miami Open last year.
Eala grabbed a semifinal appearance this season at the Auckland Open.
She also made it to the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this season.
The world number 46 will now turn her focus to the Stuttgart Open as she continues her preparations for the French Open.
Source: Khaleej Times