Filipino sensation Alex Eala said she was proud of her effort in the UAE this week even as World No 4 Coco Gauff eased into the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a comfortable victory.
Eala had a majority of the crowd, comprising of the UAE's sizeable Filipino community, behind her but her American opponent proved too strong as Gauff eased to a 6-0, 6-2 win inside 68 minutes.
Gauff will meet Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals on Friday.
With her first win over Eala, Gauff made it to her second Dubai semi-final and became the third American in the last four along with Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova.
Despite the defeat, Eala said it was a great learning experience for her.
“Obviously, I think the gap between us was pretty prominent,” said Eala, who is expected to rise to No 32 in the world when the WTA publishes its latest rankings.
“That’s not to say that I’m so far out of reach from these players. I think this match was … I mean, the score says a lot, but I think I'm not so disappointed. I keep my head up. I feel good about the whole week, and how I've been doing. So, the biggest takeaway for me, honestly, is that I'm on the right path.”
Eala looked tentative early on and even though Gauff had three first-set double faults, Eala was unable to capitalise.
In the third game, the 20-year-old saved a breakpoint but then volleyed wide at deuce to hand the advantage to her opponent, who won the next point to go 3-0.
The passionate crowd rallied around Eala even as she faced a first-set bagel.
The second set went along the same lines as Gauff added two more breaks to take her winning run to 10 consecutive games. Eala did get on the scorecard at 4-1. The World No 47 then broke to go 2-4 but Gauff broke back and held the advantage.
“I could have served a little better, but I made it in when it mattered,” Gauff said. “Alex is a tough competitor. Even when I was up, I knew she could come back at any given moment, I’ve seen her do it before.”
Addressing the fans, Gauff added: “I know you were mostly supporting Alex, but it is great to be on a crowded court. I’ve played this tournament many years and to see this stadium full means a lot. Sometimes it’s tough when you’re playing against a ‘home crowd’, but I think it’s great for the sport, so keep being enthusiastic and keep rooting for your player.”
Gauff was pleased with her performance in the business end of the tournament, having earlier been forced to save three match points in the third round.
“Each match, I’ve got better,” Gauff said. “I definitely wasn’t in good spirits before entering this tournament. But you know, one match can change everything. I honestly didn’t think I would be in the semis at the start of this, but I’m happy that I’m here.”
