Alex Eala falls short in Miami Open qualifiers

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala fell short in her bid to qualify for the main draw of the Miami Open.

Slovakian foe Viktoria Kuzmova booted Eala out from the tournament with a three-set win, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the qualifiers held in Miami, Florida early Tuesday morning (Manila time).

Eala's match against the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) no. 104 went on for 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Despite her early elimination, the 15-year old Eala managed to get the most out of her time in Miami by playing with some of the best tennis players in the world prior to the competition.

She also met WTA no. 16 Iga Swiatek in the tournament.

In an Instagram story posted by the WTA on Monday, Eala shared her thoughts on becoming a professional player.

"Transitioning from being a junior to professional is a scary point in one's career," WTA quoted Eala.

"I am unsure about what the future holds and there are a lot of ups and downs. My family never failed to support me and know they are rooting for me in whatever I do," she added.

Eala received the wild card slot for the Miami Open last week.

The tennis ace started the year on a roll after getting her first professional title in the W15 ITF Manacor last January and made quarterfinals stints in her next competitions.

Eala is currently WTA no. 737 and no. 3 in the ITF juniors rankings.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News