Alex Eala and Ingrid Martins on Tuesday lost in the first round of the Australian Open women’s doubles against Shuko Aoyama and Magda Linette via scores of 6(3)-7, 6-2, 3-6. With the loss, Eala’s stint Down Under has officially ended.
Early Momentum Goes for Naught
Eala and Martins set the tone early, racing to a commanding 4-0 lead in the opening set as they dictated points and capitalized on their opponents’ slow start.
They later held a 5-3 advantage and appeared poised to take the frame, only for Linette and Aoyama to steadily claw back. The veterans forced a tiebreak and proved steadier under pressure, pulling away to steal the set and shift the momentum.
Shaken but not rattled, Eala and Martins regrouped in the second set.
The pair found better rhythm on their serves and at the net, opening up early separation and avoiding the late-set collapse that hurt them earlier. Their improved coordination paid off, as they comfortably claimed the set, 6-2, to send the match into a deciding third.
The turnaround, however, proved short-lived. After a medical timeout before the final set, the Filipino-Brazilian duo started flat and quickly fell into a 0-4 hole.
They mounted a brief rally, trimming the deficit to 3-4 and threatening to extend the contest further. Linette and Aoyama, drawing on their experience, shut the door by winning the final games to seal the victory after 2 hours and 38 minutes.
It’s a Wrap from Austalia
The doubles defeat, which followed Eala’s first-round singles loss a day earlier, wrapped up the Filipina’s Australian Open main draw debut.
Despite the early exit, the 20-year-old achieved a milestone by competing in the main draw of all four Grand Slams, adding another chapter in her rapidly evolving professional journey.
With her early exits in both the singles and doubles events at the Australian Open, Eala is now set to compete in the 2026 WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open.
The world No. 49 will be given the opportunity to choose her own doubles partner for the tournament to be held at the Rizal Memorial.
Whether that partner will be fellow Filipina wildcard Tenielle ‘Tenny’ Madis remains unconfirmed, though fans would surely welcome the possibility of an all-Filipina tandem. Regardless of who joins her, Eala will be aiming for a deeper run here on home soil in both singles and doubles.
