Eala falls short vs. Joint in historic Eastbourne Open final

Metro Manila, Philippines - Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala fell short against Aussie player Maya Joint, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(10), in the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open on Saturday evening, June 28 (Manila time).

Eala’s heartbreak loss in the United Kingdom could have been her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title, and a first for the Philippines.

“It's a big deal for me and for my country too, because it’s historic. It’s the first time any Filipina has done anything (like this),” she said during the awarding ceremony.

Eala bounced back to get hold of the second set and force a decider.

In the third set’s tiebreak, Eala landed the first championship point at 6-5. However, she could not entirely pull away, blowing off four championship points.

At 10-10, Eala would lose the rally after passing the ball out of bounds. With the score at 11-10 in favor of Joint, the Australian made a forceful serve and another strong shot to end the match.

The 19-year-old Joint collapsed on the grass after 2 hours and 26 minutes of gripping play, while the 20-year-old Eala shed tears. The WTA said it was the youngest Eastbourne final by combined age since 1981.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Instagram that Eala’s WTA 250 singles final appearance was “already a victory for our country and for the millions of Filipinos who stand proudly behind you.”

“I guess that’s also why I’m so emotional, but you know, it’s only the first. I definitely will work hard to do more, Wimbledon is next week,” Eala said.

For her Wimbledon main draw debut in London, Eala will have an early test, facing World No. 17 and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic.

Even without the Eastbourne Open victory, Eala is already poised for a new career high, jumping to No. 56 in the live world rankings.

The tennis star currently sits at world No. 74.

In March, she had a dream run at the Miami Open to reach the semifinals, where she lost to world No. 4 Jessica Pegula.

But before that loss, Eala mounted a streak of beating top players, including former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek.

“It’s been a crazy year. I’m going to remember this week and this moment forever,” Eala told the crowd at the Eastbourne Open tennis tournament, held at the Devonshire Park.