Diana Shnaider praised Alex Eala after she defeated the Filipina star in two close sets in the second round at the 2026 Wuhan Open.
World No 13 Shnaider prevailed 7-5, 6-4 against 20th-ranked Eala in just under two hours at the WTA 500 tournament on Thursday.
Shnaider finally sealed the win on her seventh match point after a marathon final games when she was serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set.
In her on-court interview, Shnaider assessed that her performance was a clear improvement on her opening round display.
“I mean, definitely much better than my previous one,” Shnaider said.
“So, but yeah, I mean, obviously very happy the way I play today, the way I compete, because definitely Alex is very dangerous and a tough opponent.
“I mean, another lefty, another big hitter. Yeah, she never goes back down, you know. She steps in, she rips the ball. So, I knew it was going to be tough. So, yeah, very proud and happy the way I performed today.”
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Asked about the challenge of facing a fellow left-handed player, Shnaider said: “Yeah, I mean, it’s never easy to play another lefty.
“So, yeah, it’s not very often. And not very often we have to practise with each other.
“So, yeah, I would say you kind of expect another spin, you know, especially the slice serve into the body. Yeah, definitely a little more variation, different type of ball strike.
“But again, you talk through it. I feel like you got to just get used to the ball. So, like, I guess, first few games, you just kind of get used to the spin. Where is her strike zone? What is her, you know, weakness?
“And you just, yeah, got to give yourself a little bit more time to adjust. And then it becomes a little bit easier when the game goes on.”
