Filipino tennis player Alex Eala lost to Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-4 in the Berlin Open semifinals on June 20 after earlier upsets of top-ranked opponents.
The 21-year-old Eala, ranked world No. 35, had reached the semifinals as a wildcard by defeating world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the round of 16 and world No. 8 Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
After her win over Svitolina, Eala said in an on-court interview, “Elina is a huge fighter, and I’ve seen it many times. I’ve been watching her since I was a kid, so to be able to compete with her today is such an honor.”
Noskova hit 33 winners and nine aces to secure the victory in one hour and nine minutes, improving her head-to-head record against Eala to 2-0. Eala fell to 1-14 against Czech players overall.
Eala next competes in the Bad Homburg Open, where she faces Elise Mertens in singles and partners with Venus Williams in doubles.