alex eala venus
|

Alex Eala, Venus Williams reunion ends in early Canadian Open exit

MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala’s keenly awaited reunion with tennis icon Venus Williams ended quickly. 

The Filipino and American duo dropped their opening match in the Canadian Open in Toronto as they absorbed a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Japan’s Miyu Kato and Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in the round of 32 of women’s doubles action on Thursday, August 6 (Friday, August 7, Manila time).

Eala and Williams suffered their second straight defeat as partners after their first team-up in the Bad Homburg Open in Germany in June culminated in a quarterfinal exit. 


Alex Eala, Venus Williams reunion ends in early Canadian Open exit

After pulling level at 4-4 in the opening set, Eala and Williams lost the next six games as their chances of winning slowly slipped away, with Kato and Samsonova wrapping up the match in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Eala and Williams fought back from a 0-4 hole in the second set, clinching three of the next four games to close the gap to 3-5. However, their comeback ultimately fell short after they were broken in the ensuing game. 

The loss marked Williams’ exit from Toronto as she also lost her first match in singles play, falling to Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova in straight sets in the round of 128.

In contrast, Eala — who received a first-round bye as the 25th seed — advanced to the third round after a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory over the USA’s Alycia Parks in the round of 64. 

After Bad Homburg, Eala, 21, and Williams, 46, were supposed to link up again in the Washington Open, but the Filipina dropped out at the last minute and the American found another partner in Russia’s Diana Shnaider.

That turned out for the better as Eala went on to capture her first-ever WTA Tour singles title in Washington, where she beat the top three seeds, including American world No. 30 Jessica Pegula in the final.

Now that her doubles stint in Toronto has concluded, Eala can focus on her singles bid as she battles a third consecutive American in Caty McNally in the round of 32 on Friday (Saturday, August 8, Manila time). – Rappler.com

Similar Posts

  • West Indies opt to bat first in second test against Pakistan 

    The second and final Test match of the two-match series between Pakistan and the West Indies got underway at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, with the hosts winning the toss and electing to bat first. The opening day was significantly affected by rain, disrupting play during the morning session. Persistent showers allowed only 9.5 overs to be bowled before the lunch interval, limiting the action on the field. Despite the interruptions, the West Indies made a positive start, reaching 49 for the loss of one wicket before lunch. As play resumed in the second session, the home side continued to build their innings. At the time of reporting, the West Indies had progressed to 150 for the loss of four wickets, putting themselves in a solid position despite losing a few key batters. Brandon King was the standout performer among the top-order batters, scoring a fluent 46 runs before being dismissed just short of a well-deserved half-century. Debutant Amir Jangoo contributed a valuable 26 runs, helping stabilize the innings after the early breakthrough. Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of former West Indies batting great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, managed 15 runs before losing his wicket, while Kevlon Hodge added 10 runs to the total. Pakistan’s bowlers managed to make regular breakthroughs, preventing the West Indies from establishing large partnerships. However, the rain interruptions and the batting-friendly conditions made it challenging for the visitors to dominate proceedings during the opening day. Pakistan entered the match with a significantly changed playing XI, making four changes from the team that featured in the opening Test. Captain Shan Masood was ruled out due to injury and was unavailable for selection. In addition, experienced fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, Khurram Shahzad, and all-rounder Aamer Jamal were also left out of the playing XI. To strengthen the squad, Pakistan handed Test debuts to fast bowlers Awais Zafar and 20-year-old Ubaid Shah, giving both players an opportunity to showcase their talent at the highest level of the game. Their inclusion reflects Pakistan’s intent to build a younger pace attack while providing valuable international experience to emerging players. The visitors also recalled off-spinner Sajid Khan and opening batter Abdullah Shafique, both of whom returned to the playing XI after missing the previous Test. Pakistan will be hoping that the fresh faces and team changes provide the balance needed to level the series. The stakes are high in this final Test, as the West Indies currently hold a 1-0 lead in the two-match series following their victory in the opening encounter. A win or a draw in Port of Spain would allow the Caribbean side to secure the series, while Pakistan must register a victory to avoid a series defeat. With rain still threatening to influence the contest, both teams will be aiming to make the most of the available playing time. As the match progresses, Pakistan’s bowlers will look to wrap up the West Indies innings quickly, while the hosts will aim to post a commanding first-innings total and strengthen their chances of sealing the series.

  • |

    Bangladesh create history with first Test win over Australia

    DARWIN: Bangladesh have created cricketing history by defeating Australia by nine wickets in a Test match on Australian soil for the first time, securing a memorable victory in the opening match of the series. Chasing a modest target of 57 runs, Bangladesh completed the job with just one wicket down, sending a strong message to the hosts and producing one of the most significant Test victories in the country’s history. Shadman Islam remained unbeaten on 25, while Mominul Haque finished on 30 not out as Bangladesh comfortably reached the winning target. The victory sparked celebrations among the Bangladesh camp after a determined performance throughout the match. Australia had earlier been dismissed for 284 in their second innings, with Cameron Green producing a fighting century of 104. However, his effort could not prevent Bangladesh from taking control of the contest. Bangladesh’s bowling attack played a crucial role in restricting the hosts. Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the standout performer, claiming five wickets for 66 runs. Hasan Mahmud took three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam picked up one each. Australia had scored 198 in their first innings, while Bangladesh responded strongly with 426 to establish a commanding lead. The result marks a landmark moment for Bangladesh cricket and gives them a 1-0 lead in the series. More importantly, the victory demonstrates that Bangladesh can compete—and win—against one of Test cricket’s traditional powerhouses on their own home turf.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *