Alexandra Eala had only produced one win in her first three tournaments of the Asian swing, but the Filipina sensation is back in business in Tokyo, where she reached the quarterfinals with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 comeback win over Australia’s Talia Gibson.
Eala won the final nine games of the one-hour-and-53-minute encounter, and cracked nine aces and 29 winners to set up a quarterfinal clash with fellow southpaw Diana Shnaider.
What made the difference on Wednesday against the talented Aussie?
“I think, really, staying in the match, never giving up,” she said. “The first set was difficult and I had my chances, so I knew that if I kept my concentration, I would have more chances.”
Eala, making her debut in Tokyo, notched her 25th hard-court win of 2026 and improved to 36-23 overall.
Currently ranked No.19, the 21-year-old will seek revenge against the woman who knocked her out of Ningbo, 7-5, 6-4, last week.
Shnaider, ranked No.13, defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, on Wednesday in Tokyo. Kamilla Rakhimova (d. Alexandrova) and Maya Joint (d. Bucsa) also advanced.
The remaining round-of-16 matches will be played on Thursday in Tokyo.
0 comments