Eliminated as soon as she entered the WTA 500 in Ningbo this Monday, October 20, Diane Parry is going through a difficult period on the circuit. Beaten by Philippine Alexandra Eala in two sets (6-3, 6-1), France’s number 1 player suffers a fifth consecutive defeat since her title in Monterrey, at the end of August. A negative streak that is also reflected in her world ranking.
The momentum has clearly reversed for Diane Parry. On August 30, just days before her 24th birthday, the French player won the WTA 500 in Monterrey, Mexico. This title, the most important of her career, had allowed her to reach 30th place in the world rankings. Nearly two months later, the results are very different.
Since her Mexican triumph, the Frenchwoman has won only one match, in the first round of the US Open. Then beaten by Sorana Cirstea in the second round of the New York tournament, the player coached by Julie Coin has failed to win a single match since. The Asian tour is proving particularly difficult, with eliminations in the first round in Guadalajara, Beijing, Wuhan and now Ningbo.
This Monday, Diane Parry faced Alexandra Eala, 20th in the world, in their first head-to-head on the circuit. The 21-year-old Philippine, also seeking her first success during this Asian tour, ultimately prevailed in 1 hour 16 minutes.
The first set did begin with a reaction from the Frenchwoman. After losing her serve, Diane Parry came back to 3-3, before giving away her serve again on two occasions. Alexandra Eala thus won the first set 6-3.
The second set was even more difficult for the Frenchwoman. Quickly trailing 4-0 after two breaks conceded, Diane Parry managed to come back to 1-4, without being able to turn things around. Alexandra Eala immediately broke the French player’s serve again before finishing on her first match point, with a fairly decisive final score (6-3/6-1).
The statistics illustrate the difficulties encountered by the French player. Diane Parry committed 21 unforced errors, compared to 9 for her opponent. Her serving performance also weighed on the match, with fewer than one point won out of two on her first serve and only 27% of points won on her second serve.
World ranking decline ahead of Tokyo
This latest defeat comes as Diane Parry continues to exit tournaments prematurely. The Frenchwoman had already been eliminated in the second round of the US Open, before losing in her first match in Guadalajara to Peyton Stearns, then in Beijing against Taylah Preston and in Wuhan to Lanlana Tararudee.
In Ningbo, Alexandra Eala thus extended this negative streak. The Frenchwoman drops two places in the WTA rankings and now occupies 34th place in the world, according to the ranking published this Monday, October 20. After reaching 30th place following her title in Monterrey, Diane Parry sees her position deteriorate over the weeks.
The player remains entered in the WTA 500 in Tokyo, scheduled for next week. Participation in the main draw remains possible, but the Frenchwoman will need to find her bearings after several weeks without a victory.
In the world rankings published this Monday, Nice native Fiona Ferro signs, for her part, a return to the top 100. At 29 years old, the former 39th-ranked player gains five places after her quarterfinal in Lisbon and is back at 100th place, nearly five years after her last appearance among the world’s top 100 players, on October 25, 2021.
The Frenchwoman had also won the WTA 125 in Montreux in September. This progress contrasts with Diane Parry’s decline, who remains France’s number 1 player despite a difficult Asian tour. The objective will now be to get back on the path to victory in Tokyo and stop this streak of five consecutive defeats before perhaps taking a break to finish the year well.
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