Alexandra Eala settled an old score at the 2026 Hong Kong Open on Thursday. The No. 2 seed defeated Tereza Valentová 6-4, 7-6(9-7) to reach the WTA 250 tournament's quarterfinals.
It marked her first win over the Czech teenager after dropping both of their previous meetings in straight sets.
Alexandra Eala Snaps Drought in Hong Kong
Beyond the head-to-head record, the victory also snapped a 0-for-10 drought for top-ranked Filipina against Czech opponents dating back four seasons.
Despite the tight two-setter, Eala dictated the terms of the match early. She jumped to 3-0 in the opener before Valentová rallied to pull even at four-all. From there, the 21-year-old fended off three break chances in the ninth game, then ran through Valentová's serve seal the set.
The second frame gave Eala a bit more trouble, though. Valentová grabbed a 4-2 edge with a break before the 21-year-old battled back to 5-5 and pushed the set to a tiebreak. There, she built a 5-0 cushion before converting on her fourth match point after nearly two hours on court.
The win lifts the Asian Games medalist's 2026 WTA record to 38 victories. Of those, 27 took place on hard courts — including her first title win in Washington, DC.
Eala now faces Antonia Ružić on Friday, as both shoot for a ticket to the Hong Kong Open semifinals.
