Eala, Jovic fall to Chinese duo in ASB Classic doubles semis

Alex Eala’s bid for a spot in the ASB Classic doubles final came to a halt after she and American partner Iva Jovic bowed to the third-seeded Chinese tandem of Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan, 7–5, 6–3, in the ASB Classic semifinals in Auckland, New Zealand, Jan. 9.

The pair opened their campaign with an impressive straight-sets victory over former world No. 1 Venus Williams and WTA No. 13 Elina Svitolina, prevailing 7–6(7), 6–1 in the opening round and advanced to the semifinals via walkover after quarterfinal opponents Jesika Maleckova of Czechia and Renata Zarazua of Mexico withdrew.

Eala and Jovic showed early promise, jumping out to a 4–2 lead in the opening set before Xu and Yang steadied themselves and clawed back to level the frame at 4–all. 

The Filipino-American pair briefly regained momentum by reaching set point at 5–4, but the Chinese duo responded with three straight games to steal the set.

Momentum stayed with Xu and Yang in the second set. 

After Eala and Jovic moved ahead 3–1, the third seeds tightened their play and reeled off five consecutive games, closing out the match and booking a place in the final.

Despite the loss, the semifinal run marked a strong showing for Eala and Jovic in their first tournament together this season.

The ASB Classic doubles performance adds to Eala’s encouraging start to the year as she continues to gain experience against established names on the WTA Tour.