By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Alex Eala’s dream of entering the prestigious main draw of the Wimbledon tennis tournament is now gone after losing her 3rd qualifying match on June 27, 2024, in Roehampton, London.
Full of confidence in getting the job done after cruising past Tamara Zidansek and Jessika Ponchet in the first two rounds of the qualifiers, Eala had to bump against a laser-focused Lulu Sun in the third round and conceded a close two-set loss- 6.7, 5.7-.
Sun, a rising tennis star from New Zealand, is also gunning for her first-ever main draw appearance in the women’s division of the Grand Slam event in London and was ranked as no. 23 in the tournament.
Despite facing another higher-ranked tennis ace, Eala came out waxing hot after scoring her signature down-the-line forehand bombs at will, helping her clinch the early lead in the match.
With a momentum-boosting break point that steered her to a commanding 5-2 lead in the opening frame, Eala was poised to bag a 1-0 lead and was only a set point away.
However, Sun fought back with huge intent and stunned Eala in the next 25 minutes of the first set when she scored consecutive break points to force a deciding tiebreaker.
Energized with momentum on her side, Sun then completed the huge comeback after outperforming Eala in the tiebreaker with a score of 7-3.
With the collapse Eala suffered in the first set, Sun then capitalized on the opportunity and continued to pummel her with her varied offensive attacks.
Eala didn’t back down and had some moments in the second set but Sun wrapped up their intense match with another service break and a final service hold.
It was still an impressive and courageous campaign from Eala after outlasting two prized players in the first two rounds before falling at the hands of Sun.
With the Wimbledon qualifiers now over, Eala will look to take some time off and prepare for the next set of International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit matches in the next months.
