Alex Eala’s journey at the Dubai Tennis Championship concludes with a quarterfinal defeat to Coco Gauff.
In her initial encounter with a fellow emerging star on the WTA Tour, who is just one year older and already a two-time Grand Slam champion, Alex Eala faced a performance she could not overcome.
The Filipina succumbed to world No. 4 Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, experiencing a swift 0-6, 2-6 loss early Friday morning (Philippine time).
What was anticipated to be a competitive baseline battle instead transformed into a lopsided exhibition of aggressive tennis from the reigning 2025 French Open champion.
Concerns had been raised regarding Gauff’s serve following her round-of-16 match against Elise Mertens, but she responded decisively.
Despite recording three double faults in the first set, Gauff excelled with her first serve, winning 80% of those points compared to Eala’s 27%. The American controlled the rallies from the outset, maintained deep returns, and took advantage of Eala’s 15 unforced errors while limiting her own to just seven.
Gauff broke Eala in all three of her service games during the first set, concluding the set with relentless pressure on returns and precise execution from both sides.
The pattern continued in the second set, with Gauff securing two early breaks and holding serve in the second game to establish a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth game, however, Gauff granted Eala a break point after consecutive double faults. Nevertheless, the American quickly regained her composure, relying on her powerful first serve and accurate backhand to navigate the challenge and extend her streak to ten consecutive games won.
This brief opportunity ignited some resistance from Eala.
She stabilized her serve to hold in the fifth game, then demonstrated her return capabilities by achieving her first break in the sixth game to narrow the gap to 4-2.
However, Gauff’s reaction was swift and decisive. The world No. 4 broke back in the seventh game with persistent pressure on returns before confidently serving out the match in the eighth, securing the straight-sets victory with authority.
Despite the loss, Eala departs the tournament with numerous positives.
She achieved another victory over a top-ten opponent in the round of 32, surprising Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, and now boasts a commendable 3-3 record against similarly-ranked players — a strong indicator of her development on tour.
The 20-year-old Filipina is anticipated to compete next at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, a WTA 1000 event scheduled to commence on March 4 — as she continues her ascent on the sport’s premier stages.
Source: espn.com
