WUHAN: Filipina star Alexandra Eala suffered a shock 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 first-round defeat against 217th-ranked Chinese qualifier Shi Han at the Wuhan Open on Monday.
Eala, the 13th seed, missed last week’s China Open to compete in the Asian Games in Japan, where she claimed a bronze medal for the Philippines. Her return to the tour did not go as planned.
Just one week separates Eala and Shi in age, and despite the gulf in their experience, very little separated the two 21-year-olds on Monday.
Eala is ranked 19th in the world, a title winner on the WTA Tour and a former semifinalist at the WTA 1000 level. Shi, meanwhile, is ranked outside the top 200 and entered the clash with just two tour-level victories under her belt.
Earlier, world number 91 Wang Xiyu opened up the evening session with a near-flawless 6-2, 6-0 performance against her compatriot Wang Xinyu in what was a highly anticipated Chinese derby. Agencies
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