Alex Eala failed to secure her first-ever quarterfinal appearance in a clay-court event on Wednesday evening (PH time), losing to Jelena Ostapenko 4-6, 5-7 in their Round of 16 clash at the Linz Open. The No. 4 seed needed 1 hour and 43 minutes to oust the Filipina tennis star on Center Court.

Eala entered the match against Ostapenko with a perfect 2-0 head-to-head record. Clay is a different animal, though, and the 2017 French Open champion showed the Quezon City native her expertise on the red dirt.

In the opening set, Eala looked in control after building a 4-2 lead, but Ostapenko turned the tide by winning the next four consecutive games to snatch the set.

Eala responded strongly in the second, storming to a commanding 5-1 advantage, only to see it slip away as Ostapenko mounted another comeback to seal the win in straight sets.

It’s back to the drawing board for Eala, who will next compete at the Stuttgart Open. She has been handed a direct entry to the main draw of that WTA 500 tournament after Zheng Qinwen pulled out of the event due to injury.