Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala secured a spot in the Round of 16 of the Hong Kong Open after defeating Australia’s Emerson Jones in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Eala dominated the opening set, racing to a 4-0 lead before Jones mounted a comeback to close the gap to 5-4.
However, the Filipina held her ground to take the first set.
She carried the momentum into the second set, building a 4-1 advantage before closing out the match in one hour and 23 minutes.
Eala was initially set to face Alycia Parks, but the American withdrew hours before the match due to a shoulder injury, allowing Jones to take her place.
Eala will next face Czech Republic’s Tereza Valentova as she looks to secure a quarterfinal berth.
(Photo Courtesy: Jingshan Open)