Filipino netter Alex Eala committed almost as many unforced errors as she did winners in her second round match against Cristina Bucsa at the US Open.
Fortune didn’t favor Alex Eala on Thursday (PH time) as she struggled with unforced errors and fell against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, 4-6, 3-6, in the second round of the 2025 US Open in New York City.
Eala, who was ranked 20 places higher than Bucsa in the WTA rankings, committed 21 unforced errors compared to her opponent’s 12, which ultimately doomed her bid for another momentous win in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
[READ: Alex Eala exits US Open after round 2 loss to Cristina Bucsa]
The 20-year-old looked in control of the game in set 1 when she seized a 4-3 lead after holding her serve on a backhand winner.
But Eala missed out on opportunities late in the set, including two break points she squandered in game 8 that led to the world no. 95 to take control. Bucsa fired off an ace to tie the set, 4-all, and seemed to shift the energy.
The game point kickstarted a string of four game wins for Bucsa that stretched into the opening of the second set where she was first on the board, 1-0, after breaking Eala’s serve.
While Eala stopped the bleeding with back-to-back game wins of her own for a 2-1 advantage, that would be the last time the Filipina would have a taste of the lead as an errant serve game kept her struggling against Bucsa in crucial stretches.
Midway through the second set, Eala committed a double fault that gifted Bucsa the break point to seize a 3-2 lead.
Though Eala broke her opponent’s serve right back to make it 3-all, Bucsa had all the momentum on her side and pushed the Filipina hitter to the brink.
In game 9, Eala was able to save a match point with a forehand winner to get to deuce. But ultimately, she couldn’t stop the inevitable as she committed an unforced error in the next rally to help Bucsa arrive at match point anew.
Bucsa didn’t waste her second chance as she forced Eala into a backhand error that decided the match.
Eala’s 21 unforced errors were just one shy of her total winners of the game at 22.
Eala is expected to return to action in Brazil in September at the SP Open in Sao Paulo, marking the return of WTA action to the Brazilian City after two decades.