ALEX Eala’s impressive seven-match winning run came to an end Monday as former Canadian Open champion Belinda Bencic defeated the Filipina tennis star, 6-4, 6-0, in the tournament’s Round of 16.

The 21-year-old Eala showed flashes of resistance in the opening set but struggled to maintain her momentum against the 29-year-old Swiss, who eventually took control and completed a dominant straight-set victory.

Eala initially appeared poised to challenge Bencic after recovering from an early deficit. She leveled the first set at 4-all after hitting an ace to close out the seventh game, then broke Bencic’s serve in the following game.

The Swiss, however, responded immediately. Bencic won the next two games to capture the opening set and carried that momentum into the second.

Bencic quickly built a 5-0 advantage, putting Eala under constant pressure with strong serving and aggressive returns. The Filipina fought hard in the sixth game, overcoming a 0-40 deficit and producing two consecutive backhand winners to force deuce.

But Eala could not complete the comeback. She missed a return wide before Bencic closed out the game with a cross-court forehand, securing her place in the quarterfinals.

Bencic, who won the Canadian Open in 2015, also extended her winning streak against left-handed opponents to 10 matches dating back to 2024.

After the match, Bencic acknowledged the strong support Eala received from the Toronto crowd.

“Thank you. I know most of you guys were cheering for Alex,” Bencic said, while expressing appreciation to those who supported her as well.

The victory set up a quarterfinal meeting with American Coco Gauff.

Eala entered the tournament after a first-round bye and defeated Alycia Parks, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, in the Round of 64. She then survived a tough battle with Caty McNally, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, to reach the Round of 16.

Despite the loss, Eala’s Canadian Open campaign extended her strong run of form and added another deep tournament appearance to her recent stretch on the international tennis circuit.

The other quarterfinal matchups will feature Naomi Osaka against Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek against Diana Shnaider, and Elina Svitolina against Ekaterina Alexandrova.