Alexandra Eala’s spirited run at the Canadian Open came to an end Sunday night with a 6-4, 6-0 loss in the round of 16 to world No. 14 Belinda Bencic. Eala, who won her first WTA Tour title last week in Washington, D.C., had another raucous contingent of Filipino supporters cheering inside Sobeys Stadium. But it couldn’t stop Bencic’s dominant performance
Bencic jumped to an early break lead at 2-1 in the first set. It was clear she wanted to attack Eala’s serve off the return, standing close to the baseline and unleashing powerful groundstrokes. Despite this, Eala showcased her resolve by breaking Bencic’s serve twice in the opening set. At 4-4, with Eala serving, Bencic had another break point. Eala hit a powerful serve that Bencic barely returned. It allowed Eala to move forward with an open court, but she hit her forehand back toward Bencic, who executed a perfect lob over Eala, giving the Swiss player the break.
Bencic went on to win the first set. It was a missed opportunity for Eala and foreshadowed the rest of the match. Eala’s movement was less sharp and her shots were less precise than they’d been in recent performances. She continued to struggle with her serve, and her opponent pounced on the opportunity. Bencic raced to a double break lead over Eala in the second set, dictating the pace with blazing shots from the baseline. Eala had no answers, and after a D.C. Open run in which she seemed capable of overcoming any deficit, her magic ran out Sunday.
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At 5-0, Bencic closed out the match with a punishing serve that caught Eala off balance and allowed Bencic to crush a crosscourt forehand winner. As Eala left the court, the Filipino fans in Toronto serenaded her with cheers as she waved and blew kisses to the crowd
Bencic will face Coco Gauff in a quarterfinal match Tuesday. Eala is on the player list for the Cincinnati Open as she continues preparing for the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 23 in Flushing Meadows, Queens
