On to the next: Eala continues German stint after Berlin exit

Alex Eala is moving on after falling short in the semifinal of the Berlin Tennis Open in Germany over the weekend.

The Filipino netter was shown the exit door by world No. 13 Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, 2-6, 4-6, in the prestigious Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 500 tournament early Sunday, which put a halt to the young stars’ sizzling run.

Eala made heads turn with a string of upsets over seasoned players, including a pair of top 10-ranked opponents.

Despite missing the championship round, the 21-year-old Eala remains upbeat as she travels to Homburg from Germany’s capital city for her next tournament.

“Can’t begin to describe all the emotions I’ve experienced this week. My heart is full! I am forever GRATEFUL, Berlin. You are so, so special. Thank you!” Eala said.

The Rafael Nadal Academy will have little time to rest before plunging into the Bad Homburg Open starting Monday.

She will take on world No. 24 Elise Mertens of Belgium to begin her campaign.

Eala is also hooking up with seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the women’s doubles.

The Homburg Open serves as Eala’s final stop before heading to the Wimbledon Championships in London on 29 June.

On grass courts this year, she won the Birmingham Open last 7 June and made it to the Round of 16 of the Queen’s Club Championships in England.

“I think I’m getting better. I hope I’m getting better. Of course, being exposed to this kind of level more often really pushes you to your limits and forces you to showcase what you’ve got,” Eala said.

The road to the Bad Homburg Open will be easier said than done, as Eala will take on the challenge of elite rivals.

For one, Svitolina is the third seed in the Bad Homburg Open, while No. 10 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic enters as the fourth seed.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek of Poland is also competing as the No. 1 seed, while No. 5 Mirra Andreeva of Russia is the second seed.

But Eala will bank on the momentum she built in Berlin.

Eala turned back No. 33 Donna Vekic of Croatia, 7-5, 6-4, in the Round of 32 and pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament when she eliminated No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 7-5, 6-4, in the Last 16.

She then claimed the scalp of 8th-ranked Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 6-3, 6-4, in the quarterfinal to set up a Final Four duel with Noskova.

For Philippine tennis legend Cecil Mamiit, the sky is the limit for Eala as she continues her progress on the WTA Tour.

The 49-year-old Filipino-American netter, who competed three times in the men’s singles of the Wimbledon Championships, was recently feted as one of the seven new members of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame last Saturday at the Philippine Sports Commission House.

“She’s so young. There’s so much room for improvement. One thing I was thinking about from the beginning was how much she would embrace the people who were supporting her,” said Mamiit, a six-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist.

“She has such a great following everywhere she goes. For me, I think it’s just a matter of how well she can manage her body, mentally and physically.”

Mamiit was joined by basketball legend Ramon Fernandez, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco of boxing, Isidro del Prado of athletics, Adeline Dumapong of para powerlifting, Bea Lucero‑Lhuillier of gymnastics and taekwondo and the late Eduardo “Eddie” Pacheco of football and basketball during their formal induction.