Alex Eala had waited more than a year for another shot at last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinalist — the same opponent who knocked her out in the final round of qualifying at the All England Club.
But once again, the payback will have to wait.
The top-seeded Filipina squandered a one-set lead and fell for the second time to third seed Lulu Sun of New Zealand, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6, in the semifinals of the WTA 125 Jingshan Open in Hubei, China, on Saturday.
Both players entered the semifinal in top form, each winning their first three matches in straight sets.
Something had to give in their clash on Center Court at the Jingshan International Tennis Tournament Center.
Eala came out strong, breaking serve early for a 2-0 lead. Sun, a 24-year-old born to a Chinese mother and a Croatian father, responded by leveling the score at 2-2.
But the Filipina regained control, stringing together three straight games to surge ahead 5-2 before closing out the opening set in the ninth game.
The second set initially followed a similar script, with Eala once again racing to a 2-0 lead.
This time, though, Sun showcased the resilience and shot-making that once carried her to a career-high ranking of No. 39 in 2024.
The Kiwi rattled off four straight games to go up 4-2.
Eala clawed her way back to 4-all and even earned three break points in the ninth game. However, Sun dug deep to hold, then broke the Filipina in the next game to level the match at one set apiece.
That missed opportunity in the second set seemed to drain Eala’s momentum. In the decider, she failed to hold serve in all four of her service games, allowing Sun to seize full control.
The match, which lasted two hours and fifteen minutes, ended in just eight games of the final set.
Sun advanced to Sunday’s championship match against home favorite Xeyin Ma of China, who stunned second seed Talia Gibson of Australia in the other semifinal.
For Eala, the focus quickly shifts to her next campaign.
She will return to action at the 2025 Suzhou WTA 125, scheduled for September 29 to October 4 at the Sungent International Tennis Center in Suzhou, China, where she will enter the draw as the No. 4 seed.
