ALEX Eala is now turning her full attention to preparations for the French Open following an early exit at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Eala bowed out in the opening round after absorbing a tough 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 defeat to Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandra Oliynykova.
The Filipina started strong by taking the first set, but Oliynykova mounted a comeback in the second to even the match.
In the deciding set, momentum and a bit of luck favored the Ukrainian, who eventually closed out the match after more than two and a half hours of play.
Despite the setback, Eala will not go home empty-handed as she secured €17,310 (over P1.2 million) in prize money.
The French Open is set to begin next week in Paris, and Eala is wasting no time in returning to training to correct the errors from her recent matches.
She will need to quickly sharpen her game as she braces for tougher competition at Roland Garros.
Eala is set to compete in both the singles and doubles events, partnering with her friend, Canadian world No. 9 Victoria Mboko.
Meanwhile, despite her early exit in Strasbourg, Eala climbed to No. 35 in the WTA live rankings.
She currently holds the No. 38 spot in the official rankings, with several players dropping after failing to defend their points.
The Women’s Tennis Association is expected to release the updated rankings on Monday following the conclusion of the Internationaux de Strasbourg. TMT
