FILIPINO tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala is set to reach a new career-high at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after her semifinal finish at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.
As per the live rankings on Saturday right after her semis loss to Chinese Wang Xinyu, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, Eala will seize a career-best 49th place, a notch higher than her previous high and four higher than her current ranking at 53rd.
The new rankings will reflect on the WTA website on Monday in Manila.
Eala earned 98 ranking points as a semifinalist in the 250-level ASB Classic but earned a net gain of 83 points only for an overall total of 1159 points.
Eala would have gained more points as a finalist (163 points) or the champion (250 points).
The 20-year-old had that chance in the ninth game of the second set but couldn’t convert her match point.
Eala paid the price as World No. 57 Wang managed to push the match to a decider as their battle lasted for two hours and 48 minutes.
Coming back from a 1-5 deficit in the first set with six straight games won, Eala tried to replicate her magic in the deciding set but fell just short with her last two returns being too long that clinched it for World No. 57 Wang.
Eala trailed at 1-5 anew in the third frame but won three straight games to make things interesting.
A medical time out gave her a boost after trailing at 0-3 in the third set and seemingly running out of steam to start the decider.
When she returned from the breather, Eala showed that on-court coverage speed, impressive returns and feisty serves but unfortunately it wasn’t enough as Wang held on to clinch a finals berth.
Eala will next compete in an exhibition at the Kooyong Classic set from Jan. 13 to 15 in Melbourne before competing at Australian Open, which main draw starts on Jan. 18.