Eala eyes Tokyo quarters

MANILA, Philippines —  After three straight stumbles, Alex Eala gets a shot at redemption as she guns for a breakthrough quarterfinal in the Asian Swing.

The Filipina star faces a familiar foe in Australia’s Talia Gibson in the second round of the WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open at the Ariake Tennis Forest Park in Tokyo.

It will be the first pro meeting between the 21-year-old Eala, ranked No. 19 in the world and seeded No. 8, and the 22-year-old Gibson, ranked No. 38.

Eala owns a 2-0 edge from their ITF junior days – a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win in W25 Palma del Rio, Spain in June 2023, and a gritty 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback in W25 Aldershot, England.

It is also Eala’s first WTA stint in Tokyo, having only played ITFs there before – a fitting stage to steady her campaign after a rocky stretch that included an early exit as the top seed at the Asian Games in Nagoya last month

“The only way is forward,” said Eala, who has leaned on grace in defeat as fuel for growth.