MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala’s impressive US Open campaign came to an end after she fell to close friend Iva Jovic, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, in a thrilling third-round battle on Saturday night, September 5, at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York (Sunday morning in Manila).
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| Photo courtesy: US Open Tennis Championships (Facebook) |
The 21-year-old Filipina, ranked world No. 18 and seeded No. 17, battled the world No. 14 American for three hours and three minutes before bowing out of the Grand Slam tournament.
Jovic took the opening set 7-5, but Eala responded strongly in the second, breaking away to win 6-3 and force a deciding set.
Eala appeared poised to complete the comeback after taking a 4-2 lead in the third set, but Jovic rallied to win three straight games and move ahead, 5-4.
The Filipina saved a match point to level the set at 5-5, but Jovic held serve for a 6-5 advantage before Eala sent a forehand into the net on match point to end the contest.
The victory marked Jovic’s third win over Eala in 2026, following straight-set victories at the French Open and HSBC Championships earlier this year.
“I don't even know what to say,” Jovic said after the marathon battle, adding that she felt like she had “lost my sanity five times over” before securing the victory.
Despite the defeat, Eala achieved her best-ever US Open result by reaching the third round, surpassing her second-round exit at the tournament in 2025.
Her run also earned her $290,000 in prize money, or approximately P18.1 million, while the result is expected to lift her to a new career-high ranking of world No. 16.
Eala is scheduled to return to action at the Singapore Tennis Open, which will be held from September 21 to 27 at OCBC Arena.
— The Summit Express
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