Filipina tennis standout Alex Eala overcame a spirited challenge from Australian teenager Emerson Jones, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the second round of the Hong Kong Open on Tuesday night, November 3.
The second-seeded Eala weathered comeback attempts in both sets before completing the victory in one hour and 24 minutes at the WTA 500 tournament.
The 21-year-old Filipina will next face Czech player Tereza Valentová, who secured her second-round berth with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume.
Eala was originally scheduled to play American Alycia Parks, but a right shoulder injury forced Parks to withdraw, paving the way for Jones to enter the main draw as her replacement.
Coming into the tournament with a career-high world ranking of No. 17, Eala quickly established control of the opening set, winning the first four games to build a 4-0 advantage.
Jones, ranked No. 132 in the world, responded with a determined rally, breaking Eala’s serve in the fifth game and winning two more games to reduce the deficit to 4-3.
The Australian continued to apply pressure as the players exchanged breaks, but Eala managed to hold off the challenge and claim the first set, 6-4.
Eala maintained her aggressive play in the second set, breaking away from a 1-1 deadlock with four consecutive games to move within one game of victory at 5-1.
Jones refused to surrender, winning the next two games to narrow Eala’s lead to 5-3 and briefly threatening another comeback.
The Filipina regained her rhythm in the ninth game and closed out the match to secure her place in the Round of 16.
Eala now shifts her focus to Valentová, with a quarterfinal spot on the line as she looks to extend her run in Hong Kong.
