Diana Shnaider has Alexandra Eala's number — for now.
For the second week in a row, Shnaider dug out of trouble to beat the Filipina in a three-set thriller and reach the semifinals of the 2026 Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. The victory tightened her grip on a budding rivalry between two of the WTA's rising stars.
The 22-year-old Russian earned a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 win in Tokyo, bouncing back in a second-set tiebreak. The WTA clash stretched to two hours and 52 minutes, just one week after Shnaider downed Eala at the Ningbo Open.
Alexandra Eala Takes the Opening Set in Tokyo
Alex Eala came out firing. The 21-year-old saved three break points in her first service game, then reeled off five straight games to grab the opener. Both players attacked relentlessly, subsequently combining for 88 groundstroke winners.
However, Shnaider steadied when it mattered. She committed just two unforced errors in the deciding set, closing out the win with an ace.
"This match deserved to be a final," Shnaider said. "I was just trying to remind myself to keep fighting for every point, and that paid off."
Diana Shnaider Readies for Pan Pacific Open Test Against Mia Pohankova
The win sends Shnaider to her fifth semifinal of 2026. Next up: 18-year-old Slovak wildcard Mia Pohankova, who stunned world No. 18 Naomi Osaka this week while chasing her first-ever WTA final.
