Eala-Williams doubles partnership falls in Canadian Open opener

Alex Eala and Venus Williams' much-anticipated doubles reunion ended in the opening round of the WTA 1000 Canadian Open after falling to Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova, 6-4, 6-3, on Friday at Stadium Court of Sobeys Stadium.

Kato and Samsonova immediately seized momentum, breaking Williams' serve in the opening game to establish an early advantage.

The Japanese-Russian duo appeared in control after building a 4-2 lead in the first set, but Eala and Williams responded with a break in the eighth game to level the score at 4-all.

The Filipina and the 23-time Grand Slam champion had a chance to take the lead in the next game, but Kato and Samsonova broke Williams again before serving out the opening set.

Kato and Samsonova carried their momentum into the second set, racing to a 4-0 advantage. Eala and Williams managed to cut the deficit by winning three of the next five games, but the comeback attempt ended there as their opponents closed out the match in one hour and 17 minutes.

The victory sent Kato and Samsonova into the second round. The pair previously reached the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open in April.

Eala now turns her attention back to the singles draw, where she is set to face American Caty McNally in the third round on Saturday at 8:10 a.m. Philippine time.

The 25th-seeded Filipina advanced after defeating Alycia Parks, while McNally earned a major upset by eliminating sixth seed and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, 7-6(5), 6-1.

Ranked No. 70 in the world, McNally enters the match in strong form after reaching the quarterfinals of three WTA 250 events in recent months, including the Libema Open, Lexus Eastbourne Open, and Memphis Open.

The 24-year-old American is known for her aggressive all-court style, powerful groundstrokes, and willingness to attack the net, a skill developed through her success in doubles.

Eala will look to counter McNally's attacking game by extending rallies, keeping her away from the net, and forcing the American to play more from the baseline.

The winner will advance to the fourth round and face either world No. 14 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland or world No. 2 doubles player Taylor Townsend of the United States.