Fatigued Eala falls to Uchijima in grueling Wuhan Open qualifier

Alex Eala’s China stretch ended in a baseline grind as Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima ripped out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win in the Wuhan Open qualifiers on Saturday, October 4.

The 20-year-old Filipina, world No. 58, logged her fifth straight three-set duel in seven days, a punishing rally of matches that began with her Jingshan Open semifinal stumble to Lulu Sun last September 27.

Eala broke serve in the second set, stitched three games together from 3-all, and dragged the contest into a deciding frame.

But Uchijima turned defense into offense in the third, drilling returns past Eala’s forehand wing and sprinting to a 3-0 cushion.

The Japanese world No. 92 kept dictating pace from the baseline, parrying Eala’s last push to lock the match at 6-2.

Eala, who recently hit a career-high No. 58, now faces a likely ranking slide after the early exit.

The lefty standout banks a nine-day reset before shifting her sights to the WTA 250 Japan Open in Osaka from October 13 to 19.