Alex Eala, Zeynep Sonmez fall to Ukrainian pair to bow out Wuhan Open doubles

Good friends Alex Eala and Zeynep Sonmez saw their on-court partnership fall short, losing to Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina and Dayana Yastremska, 6-2, 6-3, in the Wuhan Open doubles Round of 32 on Tuesday.

Eala and Sonmez fell behind early in Set 1 and never recovered as they ended their Wuhan Open campaign altogether after both players also bowed out of the singles tournament.

Eala absorbed a shock loss to world No. 217 Han Shi of China in the opening round while Sonmez lost to Yulia Putinsteva both in three sets.

Eala and Sonmez, who had previously teamed up during the 2026 Madrid Open, were in trouble early on after Kalinina and Yastremska raced to a commanding 4-0 lead in Set 1. The Filipina and Turkish pairing won two of the next three games to stay alive, but Eala's forehand error allowed the Ukrainian tandem to close out Game 8 and seal Set 1.

Eala and Sonmez bounced back right away in Set 2 after winning the first game off a backhand error from Kalinina.

But Kalinina and Yastremska ruled the next five games to move a game away from completing the sweep victory. Eala and Sonmez then staged a fightback by taking the next two games, including the eighth game that the Turkish sealed with a forehand volley winner.

Sonmez, though, committed back-to-back errors that sealed it for the opposition.

See photos of Alex Eala in the singles competiton:

—JMB, GMA News