Alex Eala, Bartunkova lose doubles opener at Birmingham Classic

June 2 ------ ALEX Eala and Czech doubles partner Nikola Bartunkova bowed out of the Birmingham Classic after a tough 4-6, 6-2, 9-11 loss to Britain’s Harriet Dart and Scotland’s Maia Lumsden.

Eala and Bartunkova bounced back from a set down and managed to tie the score at 8-8 and again at 9-9 in the decider, but Dart and Lumsden held firm in the closing exchanges to complete the narrow escape. That put a premature end to Eala and Bartunkova's doubles campaign in the WTA 125 event, the 21-year old Filipina's first tournament in the grass season after a first-round exit on clay at the French Open.

The world No. 37 plays her singles opener on Tuesday as the tournament's first seed against Priscilla Hon of Australia. The round-of-32 match won't be played before 5 p.m.

Source: spin.ph