Alex Eala’s struggles against Czech opponents were not completely behind her just yet.
Facing a higher-ranked player for the third consecutive round, Eala was unable to replicate the form that carried her through the previous two matches as she fell to eighth seed and World No. 13 Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinals of the WTA 500 Berlin Tennis Open on Sunday morning (Manila time).
Both 21 years old, Eala and Noskova share a rivalry that dates back to their early teenage years. Eala defeated Noskova in the final of the 2018 Les Petits As – Le Mondial Lacoste, widely regarded as the most prestigious Under-14 tournament in the world. Two years later, the Filipina once again got the better of her Czech counterpart in the girls’ singles quarterfinals of the French Open.
Noskova, however, had the upper hand in their first professional meeting at the WTA 1000 Indian Wells last March, where she cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 victory.
Eala appeared headed for another difficult outing as she struggled to find her rhythm early, allowing Noskova to take control of the opening set.
Noskova broke Eala in the opening game, and although the Filipina immediately broke back to level the score at 1-1, the Czech continued to dictate play from the baseline. Another break gave Noskova a 3-2 advantage, and she never looked back, wrapping up the first set in just 29 minutes.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Noskova breaking Eala in the third game to gain the early edge.
Eala finally mounted a response in the sixth game, breaking serve to level the set before holding for a 4-3 lead. The comeback, however, proved short-lived.
Noskova regained her composure and won the next three games to close out the match in one hour and nine minutes at the Steffi Graf Stadion of the Rot-Weiss Tennis Club in Grunewald, Berlin.
With the victory, Noskova advanced to the final, where she will face American World No. 4 Jessica Pegula, who earlier defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0.
Despite the semifinal defeat, Eala can take plenty of positives from her breakthrough run in Berlin. She now shifts her attention to the WTA 500 Bad Homburg, which begins on Monday. The Filipina has been awarded a wildcard entry in the singles draw and is set to partner tennis legend Venus Williams in the doubles competition.
