Metro Manila, Philippines – Filipino tennis star Alex Eala suffered a disappointing three-set loss to American Alycia Parks, 6-0, 3-6, 2-6, at the first round of the Australian Open on Monday, Jan. 19.
Playing in front of a crowd that felt like a home court, the world No. 49 Eala was off to a hot start with a shutout win in the opening set that lasted for 34 minutes.
Parks, currently ranked 99th in the world, bounced back big time in the second set, establishing a 3-0 lead before Eala made a counter but was too late for a comeback.
In the deciding set, Eala kept the match within striking distance, just trailing at 3-2, but Parks had enough gas left in the tank to seal the victory.
Eala will see action in the women’s doubles with Ingrid Martins of Brazil as they take on Magda Linette and Shuko Aoyama on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
