Alexandra Eala didn't impress in her Osaka debut after being annihilated 1-6 2-6 by qualifier Tereza Valentova in the first round.
Eala, who stunningly made the semifinal of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami earlier this year, got off to a dreadful start against world No. 78 Valentova as she lost the opening four games of the match before also being broken for the third time in the set in the seventh game.
Eala's poor display continued at the start of the second set as Valentova claimed breaks in the second and sixth games to open a 5-1 lead. Down by a set and two breaks, the rising Filipina star refused to quit and managed to get one break back. However, her attempt at a comeback was short-lived after she lost her serve once again in the eighth game and picked up a straight-set defeat.
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Eala picks up her third consecutive loss
For the Filipina, who became a WTA champion in Guadalajara in September, this was her third consecutive loss. Earlier this month, the 20-year-old lost to Viktorija Golubic in the Suzhou quarterfinal and Moyuka Uchijima in the Wuhan first round, respectively.
Meanwhile, after winning her first WTA title in Guadalajara, Eala revealed her lofty hopes for the future.
I feel so blessed now and its so difficult to grasp sometimes, because if you think about it, there are 115 million Filipinos and I am the first tennis player in history. So sometimes its so crazy. But Im so happy to be able to give back to my country in any way thats possible," Eala said.
"Im very ambitious, I think everybody has huge dreams in tennis. To be world number one and to win Grand Slams is my dream, but in the bigger scale of things to be a professional tennis player and to reach this level is something Im already very proud of.
