By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense Alexandra Eala saw her ASB Classic title hopes fade following a hard-fought three-set defeat to Chinese Wang Xinyu in the semifinals at the Manuka Doctor Arena in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday, January 10.

The 20-year-old Negros Occidental’s Victorias City native, ranked No. 48 in the WTA live rankings, absorbed a 7-5, 5-7, 4-6 setback despite mounting a strong comeback early in the match.

After dropping the first five games of the opening set, Eala surged back by winning six consecutive games to take the set and seize early momentum.

Wang responded in the second set as Eala failed to close out the match after building a 5-3 lead.

The Chinese player strung together four straight games to force a deciding third set, where she gradually took control.

Eala took a medical timeout early in the final set while trailing 0-3 due to an apparent back issue, which affected her movement and limited her chances of turning the match around.

Despite the semifinal loss, Eala capped a solid singles run in Auckland, highlighted by a quarterfinal victory over Poland’s Magda Linette in straight sets.

Her doubles stint also ended on Friday, January 9, as she and American partner Iva Jovic bowed out in the semifinals to Chinese pair Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan.

The ASB Classic served as part of Eala’s buildup heading into the Australian Open, as she continues her preparations for the first Grand Slam tournament of the year./ASC, WDJ