ALEX Eala has just missed entering the main draw of the US Open tennis championship which rolled off on Monday (PH time). By one match. What a shame.
Had she won on Friday, Eala would have become the first Filipino to be in the tournament proper in any of the four majors in the modern era.
I feel for her.
After stringing up two thrilling wins to arrange a showdown for a finals ticket to the fourth and last Slam of the year, the 19-year-old Eala got tripped by a Romanian seven years her senior. It was heart-breaking, to
say the least.
First, Eala defeated Australian Maddison Inglis, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, for a rousing debut at the iconic Flushing Meadows in New York, USA.
Next, Eala, No. 153 in the world, ousted Spain’s Nuria Parrizas in two lung-busting sets, 7-5, 7-5, in a smashing upset of the 99th-ranked Spaniard.
That set her up in the winner-take-all match against the 26-year-old Elena Gabriela Ruse of Romania, who was once ranked No. 51 in
the world.
After a heart-warming win in the first set, 6-3, Eala, inspired by the lusty cheers of her compatriots who, many of whom, had taken the day off, appeared set to ride on the momentum and clinch a seat in the
tournament proper.
But in a reversal of form, Eala lost her poise and easily yielded a 6-1 loss in the second set to the Romanian, whose world seeding has dropped to 152.
Obviously bothered by a bodily discomfort, Eala sought her physiotherapist in the third set. In his BusinessMirror report, Troi
Santos wrote:
“The medical attention briefly eased Eala’s pain but it was clear she wasn’t at her best anymore unlike Ruse, who also called for medical timeout only to let her veteran act do
the talking.”
After Ruse took a match-clinching, 6-4 third-set victory, Eala’s dad, Mike, told Santos that Alex “played through discomfort but was determined to finish the match for the fans” that included Philippine Consul General,
Senen Mangalile.
Wrote Santos, who was at ringside: “A tearful Eala signed autographs for fans telling her, ‘It’s okay, Alex,’ ‘We love you, Alex,’ and ‘Thank you, Alex.’”
Alex will be back again to try to qualify for the Australian Open in January. No need to hurry. At 19, she has a bright future waiting for her. It’s just a matter of time.