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Tennis: Alex Eala exits W25 Chiang Rai quarterfinals

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Rosy Mina

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Filipino teen tennis star Alex Eala at the 2022 W25 Chiang Rai tournament in Thailand. Photo courtesy of Thailand ITF World Tennis Tour on Facebook" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/04/15/alex-eala-(1).jpg"/><figcaption>Filipino teen tennis star Alex Eala at the 2022 W25 Chiang Rai tournament in Thailand. Photo courtesy of Thailand ITF World Tennis Tour on Facebook</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The seven-match winning streak of Alex Eala of the Philippines was snapped by Erika Sema of Japan, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, in the quarterfinals of the second leg of the W25 Chiang Rai tournament in Thailand on Friday.The 33-year-old Japanese bested the 16-year-old Filipino in the clash that ran for 2 hours and 4 minutes at Court 5 of the Chiang Rai Sports Center, an outdoor hard court.Eala is coming off her championship win in last week’s W25 Chiang Rai first leg, which marked her second professional title victory on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Women’s World Tennis Tour.The match between Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No. 572 Eala and WTA World No. 539 Sema kicked off with the Filipino taking a 2-0 lead after the Japanese served a double fault.Sema broke twice and held serve to advance to 3-2, and then called for a medical timeout. In the sixth game, Eala earned three break points with a backhand down the line winner, and broke to level at 3-3.Sema proceeded to claim the next three games to take the first set, 6-3, in 38 minutes.Just like in the opening set, Eala began the second set with a 2-0 lead by breaking serve and saving four break points to hold serve.She widened her lead to 4-0 with a blistering forehand cross court winner, to which Sema responded with a hold to trail at 1-4.Eala advanced to 5-1 with a clever backhand drop shot, while Sema held serve to love with a forehand winner to be at 2-5.The Filipino teen went on to save a break point to take the second set, 6-2, in 40 minutes, converting her fifth set point with a backhand down the line winner.In the third set, Sema fought off a break point and dished out an ace down the T to lead at 2-1.The Japanese veteran made crucial breaks of serve to lead at 4-2 and 5-3, both due to double faults by Eala.As she was serving for the match, Sema saved a break point and claimed victory with a backhand winner, 6-3, to arrange a semifinal clash with Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/14/22/tennis-alex-eala-soars-to-w25-chiang-rai-quarterfinals ">Tennis: Alex Eala soars to W25 Chiang Rai quarterfinals</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/10/22/alex-eala-captures-2nd-pro-title-in-w25-thailand">Tennis: Alex Eala conquers W25 Thailand to bag 2nd pro title</a></li></ul>Kumkhum, whom Eala defeated in last week’s W25 Chiang Rai final, ousted No. 4 seed Kyoka Okamura of Japan, 7-5, 6-1, in the quarterfinal that preceded the Eala-Sema match on Court 5. En route to the quarters, Eala moved past WTA World No. 263 and No. 1 seed Indy de Vroome of the Netherlands in the first round, 6-2, 6-3, and WTA World No. 586 Amy Zhu of the United States in the second round, 6-3, 6-1.<div>Eala’s doubles run ends</div>In the doubles draw of the ITF Women’s Asia/Oceania $25,000 tournament, Eala and 32-year-old Shiho Akita of Japan eliminated wildcards Salakthip Ounmuang and Pawinee Ruamrak of Thailand, 6-2, 6-1, in the opening round.In the succeeding match on Thursday, which was already a quarterfinal, Eala and Akita were heavily challenged by No. 4 seeds Kumkhum and Momoko Kobori of Japan.Kumkhum and Kobori led the first set, 4-2, and Eala and Akita fought their way through to level at 5-5. Both teams held serve to figure in a tiebreak, which the Thai-Japanese tandem easily won, 7-6(4), with two consecutive volley winners.Kumkhum and Kobori continued to assert their dominance in the second set, 5-1, despite being broken in the first game.The Filipino-Japanese team broke in the seventh game to be at 2-5 as Kumkhum and Kobori were serving for the match, but the Thai and Japanese recovered quickly to break back, 6-2, and romp to the semifinals.Eala, a two-time junior grand slam girls’ doubles winner (2020 Australian Open and 2021 Roland Garros), has been focusing on the women’s tour since January.The 2021 W15 Manacor champion and Rafa Nadal Academy player has competed in Spain (W25 Manacor), France (W60 Grenoble, W25 Macon, and W25 Joue les Tours), and the United States (Miami Open).As of April 15, 2022, Eala is entered in the main draw acceptance list of the W15 Chiang Rai, the third leg of the ITF women’s tournament series in Thailand that will run from April 18 to 24.

The winning streak of Alex Eala was snapped by Erika Sema of Japan in the quarterfinals of the second leg of W25 Chiang Rai tournament in Thailand.