After a tough stretch in Asia, the Philippines’ top tennis star finally found her rhythm, and she found it in a hurry.
Alex Eala rallied to beat Australia’s Talia Gibson 4 to 6, 6 to 2, 6 to 0 in the round of 16 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, winning the final nine games of the match.
How did Alex Eala lose the first set?
Both players held serve comfortably early. Eala earned a break point in the third game, but Gibson saved it with strong serving to lead 2 to 1. Gibson opened with a hold at love, and Eala answered by dropping just one point on her own serve.
Gibson broke for the first time in the eighth game to go up 5 to 3. Eala broke right back without losing a point, but a string of errors handed Gibson another break and the set, 6 to 4.
Eala led in aces, 4 to 2, but Gibson won more points on return in the opening set, 13 to 9. The first set ended with three breaks of serve in a row.
How did Eala turn the match around at the Pan Pacific Open?
She broke Gibson to open the second set and held to lead 2 to 0. Gibson saved a break point in the fifth game to stay within 3 to 2, but Eala broke again in the seventh game with aggressive returning to go up 5 to 2.
Despite a tense eighth game, the lefty closed out the set to force a decider.
In the third set, Eala took complete control. She broke serve in the first and third games, held in between and rode her powerful forehand to a 6 to 0 finish. Gibson had no answers as Eala’s confidence grew with every game.
Why does the win matter for Alex Eala?
It is the first time Eala has won two straight matches during the Asian swing. She beat Mika Stojsavljevic of Britain in the first round at the Pan Pacific Open.
The win at the Pan Pacific Open evens her record during the Asian swing at three wins and three losses.
Eala, 21, has become a national star in the Philippines and one of the most closely watched young players on the WTA Tour. Her matches regularly draw huge audiences back home, where she has helped spark new interest in the sport.
Who will Eala face in the Pan Pacific Open quarterfinals?
She will get a rematch against Russia’s Diana Shnaider, who beat her 7 to 5, 6 to 4 in the round of 16 at the Ningbo Open last week. That loss was part of a tough run that included an early exit in Wuhan.
In that match, Eala saved six match points before Shnaider finally closed it out. The rematch gives her a quick chance to turn the result around.
Shnaider, who won a silver medal in women’s doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has been one of the steadiest players of the fall and is a contender at the Pan Pacific Open.
What else is happening at the Pan Pacific Open?
The tournament has seen several surprises. Japan’s Naomi Osaka lost to Slovakian teenager Mia Pohankova, and second seed Maja Chwalinska and fourth seed Belinda Bencic withdrew with injuries. Top player Elena Rybakina also advanced to the quarterfinals.
For Alex Eala, a run deep into the Pan Pacific Open would cap a difficult Asian swing on a high note. The tournament is one of the last stops on the WTA calendar before the season ends.
