Alex Eala’s singles campaign in the Abu Dhabi Open ended in the quarterfinals following a 3-6, 3-6 loss to Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova on Thursday, but the Filipina remained very much in contention in the tournament through the doubles draw.

Eala wrapped up a hard-earned singles run after a competitive Stadium Court matchup against the higher-ranked Alexandrova, pushing through long rallies and drawing strong crowd support despite the straight-sets defeat.

Alexandrova acknowledged the challenge posed by Eala, praising her opponent’s grit and composure.

“I knew she’s going to play good. She’s a great player. I saw the last match, she’s fighting ’til the end. I knew it was going to be difficult,” Alexandrova said after the match.

She also took notice of the lively atmosphere inside the venue, where fans openly cheered for the Filipina.

“I think the atmosphere was amazing today. I know the crowd is cheering for her, but I think the atmosphere is great,” Alexandrova said with a smile.

Alexandrova added that closing out the match was far from easy, particularly late in the second set.

“I enjoyed my time on the court. I tried to do my best, and I’m really happy I finished the game in the second set, because it was really difficult in the end,” she said.

While her singles journey came to a close, Eala quickly turned her attention to doubles action. Teaming up with Janice Tjen, the Southeast Asian pair advanced to the doubles semifinals after a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory over China’s Zhang Shuai and Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.

Eala and Tjen will next face a tough test in the semifinals against the experienced tandem of world No. 28 Tereza Mihalikova and world No. 26 Olivia Nicholls, as they look to extend their impressive run in Abu Dhabi.