NEW Zealand netter Lulu Sun ended Alex Eala’s Wimbledon dreams with a 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, win on Thursday evening at the end of the third-round qualifiers at the grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.
Eala fell into a series of errors at the end of their 100-minute clash.
The loss kept the 19-year-old Eala from becoming the first Filipina to make it to the main draw of a Grand Slam event.
Eala managed to keep matters close when her backhand winner sent the contest into its last deadlock, 5-all, in the second set.
But in the next game, Sun clinched the point with an ace, for a 6-5 lead.
Eala’s three unforced errors in the 12th game gave Sun the set and the match at 7-5.
The world no. 162 Eala reached the third round after hurdling France’s Jessika Ponchet and Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek, giving her a chance to close in on Wimbledon’s main draw.
Eala has so far earned a total of prize money of $130,741 this year (P7.69 million).
Last week, she made $3,478 from competing in the $150,000 Venetto Open in Gaiba, Italy.
Eala reached the quarterfinals, but bowed to Sara Errani, 0-6, 6-7. (3).