Alexandra Eala scored an opening-round win at the 2026 Hong Kong Open on Tuesday, beating Emerson Jones 6-4, 6-3 at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium. With the result, the second-seeded Filipina, ranked No. 17 in the WTA standings, advanced to the Round of 16 in her tournament debut.
Alex Eala Fends Off Lucky Loser in Hong Kong
Jones entered the main draw on short notice after Alycia Parks pulled out of the match with a right shoulder injury. The 18-year-old Australian, ranked No. 132, had fallen in qualifying but managed to slot in as a lucky loser.
Despite the last-minute call-up, Jones tested Eala early. She broke back and chipped the lead to 4-3 after falling behind 3-0 before the second seed regrouped and closed out the opener.
After weathering that push, the 21-year-old rising star took firmer control in the second set, earning two breaks of serve to build a 5-1 cushion. While back-to-back double faults briefly let Jones claw back to 5-3, Eala sealed the final game on serve without any more trouble.
Eala now turns to a Round of 16 meeting with Tereza Valentová of the Czech Republic. Valentová leads their WTA head-to-head 2-0, making Thursday's match a tougher test for the fan favorite.
