Alex Eala’s campaign in the Philippine Women’s Open came to an end after she absorbed a 6-4, 6-4 defeat at the hands of Colombia’s Camila Osorio in their quarterfinal clash on Thursday, January 29, at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
The match marked the conclusion of Eala’s first professional tournament appearance on home soil. Despite visible discomfort, with her right thigh heavily bandaged, the 20-year-old Filipina showed grit against the world No. 84 Osorio.
Eala briefly gained momentum in the second set, taking a 3-2 lead, but Osorio quickly regained control and maintained her advantage to seal the straight-sets victory.
After the match, Eala expressed mixed emotions, saying she may not have reached her desired level of play but was grateful for the chance to compete in a WTA event in front of a home crowd in Manila.
Osorio advanced to the semifinals, where she is set to face Argentina’s Solana Sierra on Friday, January 30.
Eala, meanwhile, will shift her focus to her next international assignment as she heads to the Middle East to compete in the Abu Dhabi Open, a WTA 500 tournament, where she has received a wild card entry into the main draw.
