Take a bow, Alex: Eala goes down, vows better showing

Alex Eala acknowledged she still has ways to go after suffering a 0-6, 2-6 loss to world No. 4 Coco Gauff in the quarterfinal of the Dubai Tennis Championships last Friday.

The world. No. 47 Eala said she needs to close the gap against Grand Slam champions as she continues to compete in high-level Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) competitions.

Eala is expected to reach a new career-best rank of No. 32 in the coming days after making it as far as the quarterfinal in Dubai.

“But all things aside, I think there is still definitely a gap between me and Coco and the other players of her caliber. I think she did great and my job is to try and close that gap,” Eala said.

“I think I am doing that quite well so I’ll keep working on it and hopefully next time, we’ll be a bit of a fighter.”

Gauff, who joined forces with Eala in the women’s doubles of the Italian Open last May, had nothing but praise for Eala and the passionate Filipino crowd cheering her on.

“I think tennis needs more of this. I think it’s great and just to see a nation so proud of someone, and especially a nation that’s pretty underrepresented in this sport, I think is pretty cool to see,” Gauff said.

“I think that’s something that, you know, you can’t buy. So yeah, I definitely see why people want to root for her. And I root for her even when I’m not playing her, of course.”

Dubai was the last stop in Eala’s Middle East tour after she competed in the Abu Dhabi Open and Qatar Open this month.

Despite not reaching the semifinal, Eala still had a great run as she defeated players who are ranked higher.

Eala got past world No. 39 Hailey Baptiste of the United States, 6-4, 0-1, in the Round of 64 after the latter retired after she felt pain in her abdomen.

She then pulled off a stunner over world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, 6-1, 7-6, in the Round of 32 as she drew energy from the massive Filipino crowd.

Eala kept on winning after a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the Last 16 to set up the match against Gauff.

Eala’s journey isn’t done as she earned a direct slot to the Miami Open on 17 March, the same competition where she introduced herself last year.

She is also set to make her debut in the BNP Paribas Open on 3 March in California, which is considered by many as the “fifth Grand Slam.”

“Three weeks of fighting with love and pride has come to an end here in Dubai,” Eala said on her social media account.

“The atmosphere, the hospitality, and the full-blown support has made these weeks ones I’ll never forget! Thank you.”