Alex Eala and Iva Jovic of the United States could not replicate the magic of their first-round triumph, falling in straight sets to third seeds Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan of China, 7-5, 6-3, in the doubles semifinals of the WTA ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, on Friday.
The 20-year-old Eala and 18-year-old Jovic both enjoyed singles success earlier in the day.
The Filipina tennis ace dominated Magda Linette of Poland, 6-3, 6-2, while the American teen ousted Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas, 6-2, 7-6 (6).
When they teamed up for doubles, however, the youngsters struggled against their seasoned opponents.
Eala and Jovic started strong in the first set, opening a 4-2 lead, but Xu, 37, and Yang, 30, soon took control, winning five of the next six games to claim the set.
Xu, a former world No. 7 in doubles who has reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals, and Yang, who was ranked No. 9 in doubles in 2023, continued their dominance in the second set, closing it out in just nine games to eliminate the young duo.
Eala and Jovic had reached the semifinals after an impressive first-round victory over Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina, followed by a walkover in the quarterfinals.
