By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense Alexandra Eala and Janice Tjen bowed out of the Abu Dhabi Open women’s doubles tournament after a 6-4, 6-2 semifinal loss to the tandem of Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls.

Eala and Tjen finished with more aces, 2-0, but struggled to capitalize on key opportunities as Mihalikova and Nicholls controlled the crucial points of the match.

The turning point came in break point conversions, with the European pair converting three of five chances while Eala and Tjen failed to score on all five of their break point opportunities.

That efficiency allowed Mihalikova and Nicholls to seize momentum midway through the opening set and maintain it the rest of the way.

Mihalikova and Nicholls also held the edge in service consistency, landing 74 percent of their first serves compared to 67 percent for Eala and Tjen.

They were more effective behind those deliveries, winning 73 percent of first-serve points against 56 percent for their opponents.

The winners also dominated second-serve exchanges, taking 78 percent of those points versus 69 percent for the Filipino-Indonesian duo.

Overall, Mihalikova and Nicholls outscored Eala and Tjen 57-48 in total points, including a 21-18 advantage in receiving points.

They also led in service points won, 36-30, and service games claimed, 9-6.

A five-game winning run by Mihalikova and Nicholls further widened the gap, and they eventually closed the match in straight sets, finishing with a 12-6 edge in total games won.

Despite the defeat, Eala and Tjen capped another deep run in an international tournament, underscoring their growing presence as a doubles partnership on the pro circuit./ASC, WDJ