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Alex Eala Reaches Abu Dhabi Quarterfinals, Secures Qatar Open Main-Draw Berth

Analysts now urge her to scale back doubles to protect her singles rise.

Overview

  • Eala lost 6-3, 6-3 to second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Abu Dhabi Open quarterfinals.
  • Her run featured wins over Zeynep Sonmez and a comeback against Aliaksandra Sasnovich from a double break down in the final set.
  • She earned 108 ranking points and $35,000, is provisionally up to No. 39 in the live rankings, and is poised for a top-40 debut when the rankings update Monday.
  • She has a main-draw place at the Qatar Open following Veronika Kudermetova's withdrawal, with the WTA 1000 event starting Sunday in Doha.
  • Eala was scheduled to play doubles with Janice Tjen about two hours after her singles defeat, fueling commentary that her heavy doubles load could hinder singles progress.