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Alex Eala fails to weave the same magic from her superb first-round win as she absorbs a straight-sets loss to Spain’s Cristina Bucsa to wrap up her US Open run

MANILA, Philippines – Errors plagued Alex Eala as she saw her historic campaign in the US Open come to an end.

Eala failed to weave the same magic from her superb first-round win and absorbed a 6-4, 6-3 loss to world No. 95 Cristina Bucsa of Spain at Court 7 of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Wednesday, August 27 (Thursday, August 28, Manila time).

A slight favorite being ranked higher at world No. 75, Eala squandered a first-set lead and struggled to gain momentum as she recorded 21 unforced errors in a match that took just 1 hour and 22 minutes to finish.

It was simply not the day for the Filipina, who was on the cusp of a 5-3 lead in the opening set but was unable to convert on two break points, allowing Bucsa to pull level.

Bucsa then broke Eala to seize the upper hand at 5-4 and saved three break points in the 10th game to clinch the set.

Eala also led in the second set at 2-1 only to lose four of the next six games.

Filipinos in attendance erupted when Eala saved match point with a forehand winner, but that was followed by back-to-back errors that sent 27-year-old Bucsa to the third round of the US Open for the first time in her career.

Bucsa got back at Eala after losing to the Filipina in the W25 Grenoble in France in 2021, their head-to-head record now standing at 1-1.

Still, the 20-year-old Eala made history as the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam main draw match in the Open era when she stunned Denmark’s Clara Tauson in the opening round.

Eala scored the breakthrough triumph after first-round exits in the French Open in May and the Wimbledon Championships in July.

By reaching the last 64 in New York, Eala will pocket $154,000 (almost P8.8 million). – Rappler.com