Eala falls to Czech teen Valentova in early Japan Open exit

Resuming her Asian swing, Filipina tennis star Alexa Eala couldn’t find the right footing after stepping out of contention early in the WTA 250 Kinoshita Grou Japan Open, this time falling to Czech youngster Tereza Valentova in a 6-1, 6-2 upset loss in Osaka, Oct. 14.

Eala, who currently holds a career-high WTA ranking of No. 54, surrendered the straight-sets defeat in just an hour and 29 minutes.

The loss marked Eala’s second early exit this month, following her first-round Wuhan Open setback to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.

Valentova broke Eala’s serve early in the opening set and raced to a 4-0 lead before the Filipina finally got on the board. The Czech qualifier’s steady baseline play allowed her to cruise through and close out the first frame.

Eala clawed back to take two games from a 0-3 hole in the second set, following a similar pattern. But a costly late net error ended her rally in the eight game, allowing Valentova to seal the win.

The 18-year-old fired three aces and converted six of 10 break-point chances, while Eala managed no aces and converted just one of six opportunities. Four double faults also proved costly for the Filipina.

Eala will now return to China for the upcoming Guangzhou Open, scheduled for Oct. 20-26.