Alex Eala has broken her string of first-round exits after dispatching France’s Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-1, on Monday at the 2026 WTA 500 BNB Ningbo Open.
Eala encountered resistance in the opening set as the two players exchanged service breaks and remained level at 3-3.
The Filipina eventually found her rhythm, breaking Parry’s serve to move ahead 4-3 before holding her own service game to extend the advantage. Eala then capitalized on the Frenchwoman’s errors, including a double fault, to secure another break and close out the first set, 6-3, after 39 minutes.
Despite the competitive start, Eala gradually gained control of the baseline exchanges, using her aggressive returns and well-placed shots to put Parry under pressure.
Alex Eala Dominates Second Set
Eala carried that momentum into the second set as she won the first four games to establish a commanding 4-0 lead through a series of successful service breaks.
Parry managed to halt the run by breaking Eala’s serve in the fifth game, trimming the deficit to 4-1. However, the Filipina immediately responded with another break before holding serve to complete the 6-1 second-set victory.
Eala delivered a more consistent performance throughout the match, finishing with 12 winners and 9 unforced errors. Parry, meanwhile, recorded 11 winners but committed 25 unforced errors, allowing the Filipina to dictate much of the contest.
The victory also marked Eala’s first win on the WTA Tour since defeating Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova in the second round of the US Open in September.
Recognizing Diane Parry’s Brilliance
Following the match, Alex Eala expressed satisfaction with her performance while acknowledging the challenge posed by her French opponent.
“I’m very happy with my performance. I think it was a really good, tough first round,” said the 21-year-old during her on-court postgame interview. “Diane’s really a great player. I think she’s had a really good year, so congrats to her for the year she’s done, and I’m really happy to be in the second round.”
Prior to their matchup, the 24-year-old Frenchwoman won her first two WTA titles this year and reached a career-best ranking of No. 30.
Diana Shnaider or Yulia Putintseva in the Round of 16
The win provides Alex Eala with a much-needed confidence boost after a difficult stretch in her Asian swing.
Before arriving in Ningbo, she suffered opening-round defeats to Amanda Anisimova at the Cincinnati Open, to Tatiana Prozorova at the Singapore Open, and to Han Shi at the Wuhan Open.
Alex Eala will next face either sixth seed Diana Shnaider of Russia or Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in the Round of 16 as she looks to build on her strong start and regain her form during the remainder of the Asian swing.
