Alex Eala calmly defeated her Round of 32 opponent, Aliona Falei, in the Round of 32 match in the Jingshan Open in China on the afternoon of September 23.
Strong Starts, Calm Finish in Both Sets
The 20-year-old Alex Eala made sure not to screw up in the opening minute of her match against the 21-year-old Aliona Falei.
Eala from the Philippines started with a 3-0 score, giving her the advantage in Set 1. The Belarusian answered by scoring 2 straight points. Alex had to stop the bleeding as she scored, but Falei answered back, making it 5-3, not until Filiprima finished the 1st set.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 1: 6 – 3
The 2025 Guadalajara Champ had the same momentum during the start of Set 2 as she led 2-0. But the one-month preparation and rest of Falei proved to be helpful as she fired 2 straight points, tying the game. Alex then unexpectedly had to call for a medical timeout.
Luckily, she was able to shrug it off and lead the game 5-4. No. 322 Falei still showed her composure, making the score 6-5, but the experience of Alex in crucial games kicked in for her to seal the deal after 1 hour and 51 minutes of action.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 2: 7 – 5
Up Next: Round of 16 Match Against Mei Yamaguchi
The World-ranked No. 58 Eala now faced Mei Yamaguchi of Japan in the Round of 16 at the Jingshan Open.
Yamaguchi is currently ranked No. 268 and was able to beat Hong Yi Cody Wong of Hong Kong in 2 sets in the Round of 32.
Eala vs Yamaguchi in the Round of 16 is set to happen tomorrow, Wednesday, September 24, with the time yet to be determined.
