Eala, American partner clobbered in Italian Open doubles

Sports

ALEX Eala’s campaign in the WTA 1000 Italian Open formally concluded after she and American partner Hailey Baptiste suffered a lopsided defeat in the doubles event.

Eala and Baptiste took a 2-6, 1-6 beating at the hands of Grand Slam doubles champions Kateřina Siniaková of Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of USA in their first-round doubles duel in Rome on Tuesday (Philippine time), May 12.

Eala and Baptiste had no answer to the multi-titled pair of Siniaková and Townsend, the tournament’s No. 2 seed who are fresh from title runs in the Indian Wells, Miami Open, and Madrid Open.

With the one-sided win, Siniaková and Townsend arranged a Round of 16 duel against Sorana Cirstea and Jaqueline Cristian of Romania.

Eala’s campaign in this year’s Italian Open looked promising early. She started with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 win over Magdalena Frech of Poland in the first round before she took out Chinese Xinyu Wang in Round of 64, 6-4, 6-3.

The world No. 42 Eala then ran into a brick wall in the third round where she succumbed to world No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 4-6, 3-6.

Eala’s next stint will be in the French Open, which will start on May 24.(CCM)