By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Filipino Alex Eala continued her run in the Jingshan Open, beating Chinese Jia-Jing Lu, 6-4, 6-1, in the quarterfinals on Friday at the Jingshan Tennis Center in China.
The win set up the world’s No. 58 Filipino against third seed Lulu Sun of New Zealand in the semifinals.
Sun, ranked No. 146 in the world, defeated Russian Elena Pridankina, 6-2, 6-4, in the other quarterfinal match.
Chinese Ye-Xin Ma also advanced after pulling off a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Japanese Rina Saigo.
Ma will face the winner between second seed Talia Gibson of Australia and En-Shuo Liang of Chinese Taipei.
The 20-year-old Eala, who debuted on the WTA Tour in 2021, won her first title at the Guadalajara 125 Open in Mexico last September 7, beating world No. 134 Hungarian Panna Udvardy, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
To reach the final, she prevailed over American Kayla Day, 6-2, 6-3 (semis); Italian Nicole Fossa Huergo, 7-6 (2), 6-2 (quarterfinal); American Varvara Lepchenko, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-3 (2nd round); and Dutch Arianne Hartono, 6-2, 6-2 (1st round).
At the 2025 Miami Open in March, Eala defeated Grand Slam champions – Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, American Madison Keys, and Polish Iga Swiatek to reach the semifinal round, eventually losing to American Jessica Pegula, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 3-6.
Eala reached her first WTA final at the Lexus Eastbourne Open in June, bowing to Australian Maya Joint, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (10).
Last month at the US Open, Eala survived world No. 14 Carla Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11), in the first round to become the first Filipino to win a main draw match at a Grand Slam event. But she failed to advance after losing to Spanish Cristina Bucsa, 4-6, 3-6, in the second round.
Eala, a graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy, won the US Open junior girls’ singles title in 2022. (PNA)
