Alex Eala had her opportunities to notch a sixth straight win over a top-10 player, but she could not find an extra gear to hold on to her early lead.
The 17th seed struggled to get going in the third set as her match against ninth seed Amanda Anisimova of the United States went well past midnight, falling 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open on Tuesday.
Despite both coming off impressive victories in the second round, Eala and Anisimova figured in an error-riddled duel that ultimately boiled down to who could convert more opportunities and stay steady in the closing stages.
After taking the first set, which lasted 67 minutes, Eala kept pace with Anisimova until the sixth game of the second set, when the match remained tied at 3-3. Anisimova then surged ahead by converting the first break point of the set in the seventh game and won three of the next four games to level the match.
Eala came out strong in the deciding set, breaking the 2025 Wimbledon and US Open finalist in the opening game and building a 2-0 lead.
However, the early advantage appeared to take its toll on Eala.
The former world No. 3 American regained control when it mattered most, breaking Eala three times and sweeping the final six games to close out the match in two hours and 28 minutes.
Eala will now have nearly two weeks to prepare for the US Open, which is set to begin on August 30 in Flushing Meadows, New York.
