Alex Eala after ASB Classic semis exit: ‘So close yet so far’

Alexandra “Alex” Eala on Saturday said she was “so close yet so far” following her semifinal exit at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

Eala advanced to the semifinals but fell to China’s Wang Xinyu in a hard-fought match, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6.

“’Til my heart stops. So close yet so far,” Eala wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.

She also expressed her gratitude to the tournament hosts, saying, “Thank you Auckland for the warmest hospitality to start the year. Truly felt the wairua.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Alexandra Eala (@alex.eala)

According to the M?ori Dictionary, wairua means “spirit.”

Despite the loss, Eala earned 89 WTA ranking points and $12,331 in prize money from the tournament.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News