By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala succumbed to her Russian foe Darya Astakhova, 2-6, 2-6, during the first round of the $25,000 ITF pro tournament in Milovice, Czech Republic. The game also marked Eala’s return after taking a break for almost two months.
The 16-year-old stalwart started slow and committed costly unforced errors that Astakhova quickly capitalized on for a sweeping victory.
It was a good sign when Eala immediately grabbed the lead 1-0 but Astakhova quickly turned the game around and had all the momentum after limiting Eala to only 2 sets taken in the first.
Eala’s struggles would continue in the second set as rust was evident from her performance. Eala’s inconsistent groundstrokes were also a factor that didn’t go well against the aggressive style of the Russian.
Every time Eala would set up for her baseline shots, Astakhova was ready to receive and established her footing in the net area for an easy point.
Aside from the pace and Eala’s groundstroke woes, the Filipina recorded five double faults in the game that translated to five easy points rewarded to Astakhova.
The Juniors World no. 4 is yet to confirm if she will be joining the other ITF circuit tournaments before the year ends or if she will directly prepare for the kick-off of the grand slam tournaments in 2022.
