Alex Eala and Iva Jovic come up short in the ASB Classic doubles semifinals after falling to the veteran Chinese duo of Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan.
Alex Eala and Iva Jovic saw their impressive doubles run in the 2026 ASB Classic come to a halt on Friday, January 9, bowing to the seasoned Chinese pairing of Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan in the semifinals, 5-7, 3-6, in Auckland, New Zealand.
The Filipino-American duo showed early promise in both sets, trading blows with the third-seeded tandem before the Chinese veterans leaned on their experience to take control of the match’s crucial moments.
Eala and Jovic kept the opening set tight and competitive, but Xu and Yang proved steadier down the stretch to edge out a 7-5 win.
The pattern repeated in the second frame, where Eala and Jovic surged ahead 3-1, only to see the momentum swing sharply.
From there, Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan reeled off five straight games, turning the tide with sharp net play and well-timed returns to close out the match and book a spot in the Finals, where they will face Guo Hanyu and Kristina Mladenovic.
Despite the doubles exit, the ASB Classic campaign is far from over for both players.
Eala remains alive in the singles draw and is set for a semifinal clash against seventh seed Wang Xin, while Jovic shifts focus to her own singles test against top seed Elina Svitolina.
Both singles matches are scheduled for Saturday, January 10.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.