FILIPINO tennis star Alex Eala saw her run at the Jingshan Tennis Open end on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, after absorbing a 6-3, 4-6, 2-6 loss to New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in their semifinal duel in China.
Eala, ranked No. 58 in the world, started strong by pocketing the opening set and even built a 2-1 edge in the second frame. But the 146th-ranked Sun caught fire, stringing together four straight games to wrest control and eventually force a decider.
The momentum carried over to the third set as Sun raced to a commanding 4-0 lead. Eala tried to rally late, but Sun kept her composure to seal the victory and secure a spot in the finals.
The setback marked Eala’s second defeat to Sun, who also bested her in the Wimbledon qualifiers last year.
The 20-year-old Filipina ace still made it to the semis after beating Aliona Falei, Mei Yamaguchi, and Jia-Jing Lu earlier in the tournament. / RSC