Early exit for Philippine darling Eala at Singapore Open

Phillipines star Alexandra Eala suffered an early exit at the Singapore Open, losing 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to unseeded Russian Tatiana Prozorova on Thursday. Despite a boisterous home crowd largely composed of Filipino fans, Eala struggled to capitalize on her support. The 21-year-old, the world number 18, managed to take the opening set but was unable to maintain her momentum.

Russian opponent Prozorova fought back from 4-2 down to secure the second set and ultimately won a grueling match. Eala acknowledged the challenging day, stating, "You are going to have days like this, when you battle for three hours and it just doesn t go your way." She expressed her determination to improve, saying, "I ll have to work on it but try not to make it any bigger than it needs to be."

Eala had made a breakthrough season, defeating tennis greats Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, and Elena Rybakina. She achieved her first WTA title at the DC Open in August and became the first Filipina to enter the World Top 20. The majority of fans in Singapore cheered for Eala, donning Philippines colors and vocalizing their support between points.

However, Prozorova's victory saw Eala in a quarter-final matchup against China's Wang Xinyu. Eala remains optimistic, stating, "I think I have as big a chance as any other person in the draw. I will do my best, of course, but for now, I will process tonight s loss and step on with the work."