Alexandra Eala Rallies to Reach Pan Pacific Open Quarter-Finals in Tokyo

Philippine tennis star Alexandra Eala recovered from a slow start to defeat Australia’s Talia Gibson 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Wednesday, booking her place in the quarter-finals.

The world number 19 appeared at risk of another early tournament exit after Gibson, ranked 38th, took the opening set by capitalising on missed opportunities. Eala, however, raised her level in the second set before producing a dominant performance in the decider.

“It took a lot to turn that match around,” Eala said after the victory, describing her improvement as “a gradual increase of level”.

The 21-year-old said small adjustments during key points had helped her regain control of the contest.

“Maybe just a couple of small details that when accumulated make a big difference,” she said. “In one 30-all I went more for my shot or in one deuce I did so and so. Those little details when all summed up, that’s the difference.”

Eala began her comeback in the second set but initially struggled to convert several opportunities to put Gibson under sustained pressure. She became increasingly confident as the match progressed, taking control in the third set and completing the victory when her opponent sent a shot into the net.

She finished with nine aces and broke Gibson’s serve six times.

The Filipino player also credited the support from spectators in Tokyo, where she attracted a passionate following throughout the match.

“Of course the support helps a lot all the time,” she said. “It creates a great atmosphere and I think there was a bit of back and forth within the crowd.”

Eala added that the atmosphere helped her remain focused and involved in the contest.

Her success has attracted considerable attention in the Philippines, where she became the first player from the country to win a title on the women’s WTA Tour in August. Her performances have since drawn strong interest from fans at home and abroad.

Eala will face Russian third seed Diana Shnaider in the quarter-finals. Shnaider advanced after defeating Belarusian player Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.

Elsewhere in the Tokyo tournament, world number one Elena Rybakina is scheduled to begin her campaign on Thursday against fellow Kazakh Yulia Putintseva.

Japanese favourite Naomi Osaka is also set to play, facing Slovakian wild card Mia Pohankova as the competition moves towards the later rounds.