A tiebreak that turned on a double fault and a right ankle that needed treatment in the third set ended Alex Eala’s Pan Pacific Open. It is the second time in eight days that Diana Shnaider has beaten her.
Down a set to Australia’s Talia Gibson, Alex Eala won the last nine games in Tokyo and set up a quarterfinal rematch with Diana Shnaider.
Two years ago Alex Eala lost Ningbo qualifying as the world No. 148. On Thursday she saved six match points on Center Court before losing 7-5, 6-4 to Diana Shnaider.
Alex Eala beat Diane Parry 6-3, 6-1 in the Ningbo Open first round, her first WTA win since the US Open, on the day EJ Obiena defended her from online critics. Diana Shnaider is next on Thursday.
Alex Eala won the first set, then lost to No. 217 Han Shi 6-4, 3-6, 3-6 in Wuhan. That’s the third straight event where she won the opening set and lost.
