Eala turns back Gibson, reaches quarters
Alex Eala kept her bid for a strong finish to the season alive after rallying past Australia’s Talia Gibson, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, to reach the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Wednesday.
“[T]he first set was difficult, and I had my chances; so I knew that if I kept my concentration I would have more chances [at winning],” Eala said.
A familiar—and dangerous—foe awaits her in the last eight, where she will be gunning for a spot in the semifinals to brighten up an Asian swing that did not start well for the Filipino superstar.
Eala next faces Russian Diana Shnaider, who defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-3, 5-6, 6-3, in their second-round encounter Wednesday.
Shnaider defeated Eala, 7-5, 6-4, in Ningbo, China, denying the 21-year-old ace a place in the quarterfinals.
After dropping a closely contested opening set, the world No. 19 took control of the match, dominating the final two sets to secure her first quarterfinal appearance in the Asian leg.
Seeded eighth in the tournament, Eala recovered from a sluggish start against the 38th-ranked Gibson before overwhelming the Australian in the deciding set.
The victory also extended Eala’s unbeaten record against Gibson to three matches, having defeated the Australian twice on the ITF circuit in 2023.
More importantly, it gave Eala a breakthrough after consecutive second-round exits during the Asian swing, including that loss to Shnaider last week.
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