Alex Eala comes inches short in heartbreaking final as Maya Joint rules Eastbourne Open

Alex Eala bows out of the WTA Eastbourne Open final in stunning fashion, unable to capitalize on 4 championship points as Australian Maya Joint wins the title in a 3-set absolute thriller

MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala came within a point away four times from a crowning finish to a week where she played spectacular tennis. She could not, however, string together the finishing touches.

Eala almost pulled off another gritty come-from-behind performance on Saturday, June 28, but fell short against a determined Maya Joint of Australia, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(10) in the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open final in the United Kingdom — the youngest final in 44 years.

It was Eala’s third match in Eastbourne where she had to rally from a set down, displaying heart and some newfound resilience. The 19-year-old Joint, though, proved slightly steadier when it mattered most against the 20-year-old Filipina.

Having already punctured a hole in Joint’s vaunted defense, Eala opened a 2-0 lead in the deciding set. Joint showed there was no quit in her, breaking Eala in the third game and zooming to a 4-2 lead.

The Filipina also displayed her indomitable spirit, clawing back to draw even at 4-4, the score eventually holding sway until it led to a tiebreak.

In a gripping back-and-forth drama worthy of a historic final, Eala could not close out her four championship points, while Joint converted on her second, edging her Filipina rival for the title, 12-10.

Joint was on fire in the first set, building a 3-0 advantage as her trademark aggressive baseline game forced Eala to scramble for returns.

The closest Eala could get was at 5-4, but the Filipina’s error-strewn play prevented her from posing any serious threat to stealing a win as the Australian teen captured the opener in 10 games.

But when Eala found her rhythm in the second set, she was able to impose her will and string together points that allowed her to pull away quickly. After jumping to a 2-0 lead, Eala allowed Joint just one game before pocketing the last four to easily take the second set at 6-1.

Despite the loss, Eala still added to her growing list of records by becoming the first Filipino to reach the finals of a main tour event in the tennis open era.

The only Filipino to come close to becoming champion was longtime Philippine national team member Cecil Mamiit, who finished runner-up in the ATP Sybase Open in 1999, when the Fil-American was still representing the United States.

The Filipina tennis ace gets two days off before plunging back to action on Tuesday, July 1, when she again makes history by becoming the first Filipino in the open era to play in the singles main draw of Wimbledon. – Rappler.com