Alex Eala progressed to the quarter-finals of the 2026 Pan Pacific Open after a three-set comeback victory against Talia Gibson.
The Filipina star downed world No 38 Gibson 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the second round at the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Eala lost the opening set after she was broken at 3-4 and 4-5, but she did not lose serve again thereafter and broke her 22-year-old Australian opponent twice in the second set and three times in the third to complete a dominant turnaround.
The 21-year-old started the week as the world No 19 — one place below her career-high ranking position of 18th.
After reaching the last eight at the Pan Pacific Open, Eala has moved onto 2,289 ranking points in the Live WTA Rankings, and she is at a projected new career-high spot of 17th.
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Eala dismantled 17-year-old British wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round in Tokyo on Monday.
Following her first round win, Eala said: “I think it was super important today to be focused on every single point. Playing against Mika for the first time was a great experience and I am sure we will meet many, many more times.
“I think she has a really good level and I’ll see her many more times on Tour. I think it was super important to be focused, especially in the first round, and try to keep the intensity up.”
Eala was then asked how she dealt with Stojsavljevic’s big serve, as the 17-year-old already stands at six foot and one inch.
“I think it’s a part of my style. She’s a great server. I think that’s one of the key points of the match today,” said Eala about her returning.
“They were the things that made it a bit more difficult for me, so I’m really happy that I was able to do that. Thank you to the Japanese fans for being so hospitable.”
