Alex Eala falls short against Diana Shnaider, exits Ningbo Open in Round of 16

Alexandra “Alex” Eala fell short against world No. 13 Diana Shnaider, losing 7-5, 6-4, in the Round of 16 of the Ningbo Open in China on Thursday.

Eala held a 4-3 lead in a tightly contested first set before Shnaider won the next two games to move closer to taking the set. Eala fought back to level the score, but Shnaider claimed the next two games to take the opening set.

The second set was another closely fought battle, with the two players trading games and reaching a 4-4 deadlock before Shnaider pulled away to secure the win.

Eala, however, put up a fight in the final game, forcing Shnaider to save seven match points before sealing the victory. The said game lasted around 10 minutes, while the entire match took just under two hours to complete.

Shnaider acknowledged Eala's strong performance, describing the match as one of her best recently.

“I think this is one of the best matches I've played recently. My opponent, Eala, played very well,” Shnaider said.

“She's very aggressive and often has a few shots on the line. It puts a lot of pressure on me. I'm very happy to be able to find a great way to win this match.”

Shnaider will face Iva Jovic in the next round.

HIGHLIGHTS | Alex Eala vs Diana Shnaider

Alex Eala's Season recap (singles)

Asian swing

• Ningbo Open — Round of 16
• Wuhan Open — Round of 64
• Singapore Tennis Open — Round of 16

North American swing

• US Open — Round of 32
• Cincinnati Open — Round of 32
• Canadian Open — Round of 16
• DC Open — Champion

Grass-court swing

• Wimbledon (Grand Slam) — Round of 16
• Bad Homburg Open (WTA 500) — Round of 32
• Berlin Tennis Open (WTA 500) — Semifinals
• HSBC Championships (WTA 500) — Round of 16
• Birmingham Open (WTA 125) — Champion

Clay-court swing

• French Open (Grand Slam) — Round of 128
• Italian Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 32
• Madrid Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 64
• Stuttgart Open (WTA 500) — Round of 32
• Linz Open (WTA 500) — Round of 16

Sunshine Swing

• Miami Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 16
• Indian Wells Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 16

Middle East Swing

• Dubai Tennis Championships (WTA 1000) — Quarterfinals
• Qatar Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 64
• Abu Dhabi Open (WTA 500) — Quarterfinals

Philippine Women’s Open (WTA 125) — Quarterfinals

Australian Swing

• Australian Open (Grand Slam) — Round of 128
• ASB Classic (WTA 250) — Semifinals

—JKC, GMA News