Alex Eala’s maiden campaign at a Grand Slam mixed doubles event came to an abrupt end Tuesday night (Manila time).
Eala and her partner, Canadian World No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime, suffered a quick exit in the star-studded US Open mixed doubles event after a 4-1, 4-1 loss to married couple Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York.
Sealed with a kiss
With only four games per set, Eala and Auger-Aliassime struggled to get into a rhythm as Svitolina and Monfils got off to a fast start.
Svitolina and Monfils, who sealed their victory with a kiss, needed only 39 minutes to dispatch Eala and Auger-Aliassime and keep their bid for the $1 million top prize going.
The top-seeded pair of Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic are playing doubles world number ones in Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patton as of posting time. The winning duo plays Svitolina and Monfils in the next round.
The 21-year-old Eala will now set her sights on her singles campaign, where she will be seeded for the second straight time at a Grand Slam.
Eala recently rose to a new career-high of World No. 18 in the WTA rankings.
She is also set to play her close friend and American World No. 14 Iva Jovic in the Stars of the Open exhibition showcase on Thursday as part of the US Open Fan Week.