For the third consecutive round, Alex Eala faced a seasoned veteran in another grueling match.
This time, however, the outcome would be different.
Fourth-seeded Eala was tested once again but fell short in three thrilling sets against sixth seed Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(0), in the quarterfinals on Friday at the Suzhou Ladies Open in Suzhou, China.
Golubic was coming off an impressive 6-2, 6-0 demolition of former world No. 49 Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic in the second round on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old Fruhvirtova had previously eliminated Eala at the WTA 125 Birmingham Classic last June.
While Golubic aimed to replicate her dominant performance from the previous round, Eala showed more resistance this time.
World No. 58 Eala, still feeling the effects of her grueling three-hour, 18-minute match on Wednesday, struggled to shake off a sluggish start against the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinalist and 2024 Australian Open third-round participant.
The 32-year-old Golubic surged ahead early in the first set, building a 2-0 lead. Eala, however, shook off the lethargy and rattled off six consecutive games to take the opener, 6-2.
Determined to extend the match, world No. 70 Golubic seized control in the second set, denying Eala any chance to regain momentum and taking the set in eight games.
In the third set, Golubic got a crucial break in the fifth game with the score tied at 2-2.
A missed call on a Golubic shot that appeared out prevented Eala from holding serve, allowing the Swiss player to retake the lead at 3-2, which she extended to 5-3.
Eala, however, showed resilience, going on a three-game run to move within one game of victory at 6-5.
The Filipina ace had two match points in the 12th game but Golubic, demonstrating the composure of a seasoned veteran, fought back to force a tiebreak.
From there, it was all Golubic, who blanked Eala in the tiebreak to secure a two-hour, 21-minute victory.
Eala will have just a day to recover before plunging back into action.
She is set to travel 745 kilometers from Suzhou to compete in the qualifiers of the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open, which begins on Sunday.
