Alexandra Eala suffered her second loss in just three days yesterday, as she fell in the very first round of the Bad Homburg Open.
Tasked with trying to topple Elise Mertens in her opening match in Germany, the Filipina struggled to really make a mark on her opponent’s game, and in the end, lost rather convincingly, 6-3, 6-3.
It marks the inevitable outcome when rushing from one event to the next, having only lost her Berlin Open semi-final on Saturday.
With Wimbledon just around the corner, as she is set to be seeded for the first time in her career at a Grand Slam, Alexandra Eala may have just taken a hugely unnecessary risk which could turn into a big mistake.
Alex Eala should not have played the Bad Homburg Open
The hope is that the 21-year-old can emerge from this pretty brutal run of matches unscathed, but it has been a gruelling period for Eala.
After all, she has managed to fit four tournaments in during this grass-court season, over a period when some players have actually played none.
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Winning the title in Birmingham got her off to the perfect start, and a second-round exit in Queen’s was admirable.
Then, to head to Berlin and beat two top-ten players on the way to the semi-final should have provided the perfect final warm-up tournament before heading to Wimbledon to prepare.
Alas, with heavy strapping all across her shoulder, Eala has squeezed one extra event in, and lost quickly as a result.
The hope is that this desperation to fit one more competition in does not come back to bite her at the highest level.
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Despite these concerns, Eala is still pressing ahead with her plans to play doubles in Bad Homburg.
However, she can be forgiven for her desperation to compete in this event, given she will be partnering with Venus Williams.
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The American, who was also knocked out of the singles draw yesterday, will be hoping to enjoy a solid run in Germany before Venus and Serena play together at Wimbledon.
Speaking about the opportunity to play with such a legend, Eala admitted: “I am really, really excited.
”Venus is such a trailblazer and continues to do so much and has done so much for the sport.
“I like to say that women’s tennis has been a trailblazer for women’s sports and she is a big part of why that is.”