MANILA, Philippines — Young guns Alex Eala and Iva Jovic put up a gallant fight but lost against the formidable Chinese duo of Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan, 7-5, 6-3, in the doubles semifinals of the 2026 ASB Classic on Friday, in Auckland, New Zealand.
Eala, 20, and Jovic, 22, exchanged blows with Xu and Yang in the first set but the Chinese tandem displayed composure in the clutch to break free from a 5-5 tie.
In the second set, Xu and Yang continued to play well and frustrated the young pair.
The 37-year-old Xu is a doubles specialist and reached a career-high of No. 7 in the doubles world rankings, boasting of 14 career doubles titles, including the prestigious WTA 1000 Miami Open (2017) and WTA 1000 Indian Wells (2022).
Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Yang, reached a career high of world No. 9 in doubles and has seven career doubles titles.
