Alex Eala is out of the BNP Paribas Open.
This after Czech Republic ace Linda Noskova delivered an absolute masterclass on Wednesday in dismantling the 20-year-old Filipina, 6-2, 6-0, to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals and deny Eala a deeper run.
Noskova started off blazing, breaking Eala in her very first service game to seize control early. The 21-year-old Czech, who is currently ranked No. 14 in the world, almost raced out to a 3-0 lead, in fact, but the Filipina saved two break points to get on the board.
Noskova Imposes Her Will
That bit of resistance turned out to be Eala’s final shining moment in a match so thoroughly dominated by Noskova. The world No. 14 took total control from there, using her booming serve and aggressive baseline play to win four of the next five games of the opening frame for a 1-0 advantage.
Noskova continued her decisive run in the second frame, disrupting Eala and never allowing her to gain any rhythm. Again, the Czech ace was superb with her serve, adding four more to the three she recorded as she claimed a bagel against the up-and-coming Filipina.
A Dominant Reversal of Fortunes
Curiously, Eala had beaten Noskova twice—both when they were still in the juniors division. Each time, Eala dropped the first set, as what happened on Wednesday, but each time Eala showed grit and resilience in coming back and getting the win.
There was going to be no comeback this time as Noskova played what was essentially a perfect game. Eala, on the other hand, looked shell-shocked and a shell of the player who played brilliantly against Coco Gauff in Round of 32 action.
With the loss, Eala will now turn her focus to the Miami Open to be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
