Eala bows to No. 3 seed

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala fell short of another pro title that could have ended her season with a bang after a runner-up finish to French bet Oceane Dodin, 6-1, 7-5, in the W40 Petange finals over the weekend in Luxembourg.

It’s Eala’s final tourney for the year and she had a stellar run until the final, where she just ran out of steam against the much more seasoned foe in Dodin, the No. 3 seed with 18 pro titles to show.

The 18-year-old Eala absorbed a near shutout in the opening salvo and even a stronger outing in the second set could not propel her to a deciding match against the 27-year-old and WTA No. 93 opponent.