Alex Eala stopped by Amanda Anisimova in Cincinnati Open third round

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines reacts during a match against Amanda Anisimova of the United States on day seven of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines–Riding a five-match winning run against top-10 players, Alex Eala couldn’t keep her hot streak going after a 6-4, 4-6, 2-6 loss to World No. 10 Amanda Anisimova in the Cincinnati Open third round at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

The Filipino star faltered when it mattered most after she squandered a 2-0 lead in the deciding set.

Anisimova scraped past Eala and advanced to the round of 16 against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova after overcoming an error-prone performance.

The 24-year-old American found her rhythm in the third game of the final set and never looked back, but the turning point of the match came in the sixth game of the second set, where she managed to pull through and hold serve despite committing three double faults.

“Alex is such a great player and such a fighter, so I knew it was really going to be a tough match,” said Anisimova in the post-match interview.

“I’m really proud of this performance for being able to find a way and kind of push myself there in the middle of the match,” she added. “I’m really happy with the way I was able to find my tennis and start fighting. It was a really, really tough match and credit to her, she was really playing some great tennis.”