MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala’s drive for back-to-back W25 Chiang Rai title romps came to an abrupt halt Friday when she fell to a bouncy Erika Sema and dropped a 3-6, 6-2, 3-6 setback in the quarterfinal round at the Chiang Rai Sports Center in Thailand.
Eala missed a power hit that put Sema at match point then the Japanese countered Eala’s assault on the net with a clutch backhand winner that dropped way beyond her rival’s reach, ending the two-hour, four-minute encounter in scorching heat at Court 5 and sending Sema to the semifinal round.
The 16-year-old Eala had appeared headed to staying on course for two straight ITF titles after forcing a decider with an emphatic win in the second set. But the game Sema, banking on her energy and top spins, snapped a hold-hold game with a big break in the sixth on Eala’s double fault.
The Rafa Nadal Academy scholar did break back in love fashion in the next but Sema battled back in the eighth, aided by another Eala’s double fault, then endured the Filipina's gutsy stand in the ninth game that had her fighting back from 15-30 down and surviving two deuces to clinch the set and the match.
Sema faces local bet Luksika Kumkhum, whom Eala beat in the finals to win the first leg of the two-part Chiang Rai series, in the semis.
Kumkhum held off Japanese Okamura Kyoka, 7-5, 6-1, while second seed Jia Jing Lu of China repelled Kazakh Gozal Ainitdinova, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, to set a semis duel in the lower half of the 32-player draw against No. 8 Thai Peangtan Plipuech, who trounced compatriot Pimrada Jattavapornvanit, 6-3, 6-4.
Eala ended up with eight double faults that typified her struggle behind the service line while Sema had five but produced four aces, one better than the former.
Sema sustained her aggressive from start to finish, chasing balls from all angles, saving and returning a number of them while missing some.
Holding serve to preserve a 3-2 lead in the deciding set, she pounced on Eala’s forehand hit that slammed into the net to move to break point then watched her rival fumble with another double fault to seize control.
But Eala came through with a volley, a backhand winner and charged to the net again to gain another point before breaking back at 3-4 on a Sema unforced error, only to lose her rhythm at serve, enabling the Japanese to take the first two points.
She cashed in on Sema’s unforced error but hit a forehand return that went wide in the ensuing play then stumbled with another double fault to yield the game and trail again by two 3-5.
Serving for the match, Sema scored on a service winner but yielded the next two points before scoring on a cross-court hit to force a 30-all count. Eala took the next on a forehand winner but Sema blasted a big service winner to extend the game.
Another long forehand return put Eala at breakpoint but Sema countered with an ace and reclaimed the lead on the former’s mishit before wrapping up the match with that big counter that stymied Eala's charge to the net.