ALEX EALA and partner Victoria Jimenez Kasintsevas saw their run come to an end after losing to American Ashley Lahey and Australian Olivia Tjandramulia, 5-7, 6-4, 6-10, in the doubles competition of the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour W25 Madrid at the Ciudad de la Raqueta in Spain.
The defeat ended a tough day for the talented 16-year-old, Eala, a Globe ambassador who earlier in the day lost to fifth-seed Andrea Lazaro Garcia of Spain, 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, in the singles competition.
In the doubles contest, Eala and Andorran Jimenez Kasintsevas got off to a fantastic start as they led 3-0. But Lahey-Tjandramulia found their bearings and won the next four games to surge in front, 4-3.
The set was tied at 5-5 but Lahey and Tjandramulia broke Eala and Jimenez Kasintsevas’s serve to go up, 6-5, and then, held their serve to win the first set, 7-5.
Eala and Jimenez Kasintsevas found themselves in trouble in the second set, 1-3. Fortunately, they found their second wind and won four straight games, capped by a break of their opponents’ serve to move in front, 5-3.
Lahey and Tjandramulia retaliated with a break of their own to stay alive, 4-5, but Eala and Jimenez Kasintsevas answered with another break to capture the second set, 6-4, and force a third set decider
In the race to 10 affair, Eala and Jimenez Kasintsevas jumped to a 3-0 lead but could not sustain their momentum, committing two double faults to trail, 4-5.
Lahey and Tjandramulia eventually cruised to the 10-6 win in the third set to secure the match and a place in the semifinals.
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