Alex Eala achieved a new career-high in her Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking, rising to World No. 51.
Despite a pair of first-round exits in the Japan Women’s Open and Guangzhou Open, the Filipino tennis ace moved up two spots from her previous high of No. 53.
Eala, though, bombed out of her Hong Kong Open doubles campaign after she and Hao-Ching Chan of Chinese Taipei fell to Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia and Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus, 6-3, 1-6, 7-10.
After a convincing first set win, Eala and Chan had no answer to Sasnovich and Rakhimova, who took full control of the last two sets.
Eala reached the Guangzhou Open semifinal with the Ukrainian Nadiia Kichenok only to fall to Katarzyna Piter and Janice Tjen on Saturday, 7-6(4), 3-6, 5-10.
The Rafa Nadal Academy graduate shifts her focus to the singles division of the Hong Kong Open against Katie Boulter of Great Britain on Tuesday morning.
The WTA250 tournament in Hong Kong will be Eala’s final tournament of the season.