Alex Eala had fun playing Mirra Andreeva of Russia in an exhibition event on Sunday in Macau.

In front of a holiday crowd — mostly Filipinos — Eala showcased her skills, albeit in a tamer version, minus the grunting and vicious swings.

It was a treat for fans to see the world No. 53 Filipina do her thing.

However, the 20-year-old netter fell short against Andreeva, absorbing a 4-6, 2-6 loss in the MGM Macau Tennis Masters women’s singles match at the Macau Forum.

Eala went toe-to-toe with world No. 9-ranked Andreeva in the battle of rising stars, only to lose steam and falter at the end of the match that lasted one hour and 11 minutes.

The Russian bagged the easy win despite feeling under the weather.

“I feel better than yesterday, but I really have to thank Alex for taking it easy on me today because otherwise I felt like I wouldn’t stand a chance against her. Today was tough, but definitely better than yesterday,” said Andreeva, who played for 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez of Spain in the two-day exhibition event.

The match turned out to be a reunion of some sort for the two protagonists.

They last played against each other in the quarterfinal of the 2022 US Open girls’ singles, where Eala won 6-4, 6-0 en route to the crown.

Although the game was for entertainment, in a way, it served as a primer for the upcoming Australian Open main draw, which starts on 17 January.

“These kinds of tournaments are a great preparation for Australia and it’s also important to have some fun on the court as well at the same time. I felt like today, with Alex, we had a lot of fun,” Andreeva said.

Eala, fresh from a gold medal conquest in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand last week, enjoyed her short stint in Macau despite back-to-back losses.

The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate also fell short in the mixed doubles alongside Jerry Shang of China, 5-7, 6-7, to Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Chinese netter Yibing Wu last Saturday.

“I really had a good time sharing the court with Mira, of course, and all of you. This experience was just so great for me. Thank you,” said Eala, who played under two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na of China.

“Maligayang Pasko, mga kababayan. To everyone here, not just the Pinoys, thank you so much for coming and spending your holidays with us.”

Both players held their serve in the first four games.

However, the 18-year-old Andreeva scored a service break in the fifth game to surge ahead.

Andreeva shattered a 2-2 tie in the second set after she broke Eala’s serve in the fifth game and dominated the rest of the way.

While Eala wasn’t able to get the victory to end the year, she was still thankful to be on the hard court and share the experience with the crowd, especially the Filipino fans during the holidays.

“It’s so heartwarming to see the families coming over and just the lively atmosphere here in Macau. It definitely adds to the experience,” Eala said.

“(Li Na) was telling us to have fun and, of course, just keeping the vibes good, light, and encouraging us every time.”

As 2026 draws near, Eala is set to join two tournaments in Oceania before plunging into action in the first Grand Slam of the year.

Eala will be in New Zealand for the Auckland Classic from 5 to 11 January before going to Australia for the Kooyong Classic on 13 January in Melbourne.

She will return to Melbourne Park as part of the main draw after an early exit in the qualifying round in a 2-6, 5-7 loss to Rebecca Peterson last year.

“I’m so excited. I’ve been preparing this whole pre-season,” Eala said.

“I haven’t had much success in the Australian Open in the qualies before but I’m hoping that will change in the main draw. Every year is a different story. I’m so open and so eager to be out on that court.”