Alex Eala and partner Rebeka Masarova showed solid teamwork on the grass courts of the Birmingham WTA 125 tournament in England — Eala’s first grass event following the clay court season.

The duo put up a strong fight but ultimately fell in a close two-set match, 4-6, 4-6, to the more experienced and second-seeded pair of Ellen Perez and Storm Hunter in the first round.

Eala returns to action on Tuesday for the opening round of singles play, where she faces world No. 152 Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic. Eala is seeded third in the tournament and currently holds a world ranking of No. 73.

It was also a tough day for top seed Alycia Parks, who was upset by a wildcard entry in the first round of singles.

Eala is fine-tuning her game in preparation for Wimbledon later this month, where she will compete in the main draw of the women’s singles for the first time. In 2024, she reached the third round of Wimbledon qualifying.