MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala got off to a strong start at the Ningbo Open in China as she defeated France’s Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-1, in the round-of-32 match on Monday, October 19.
The match, which lasted one hour and 17 minutes, had seen the two players tie at 3-3 before Eala found her momentum to eventually defeat Parry in straight sets.
The 21-year-old Filipina will advance to the round of 16 and will face either sixth-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia or qualifier Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.
“I’m very happy with my performance. I think it was a really good first round, a tough first round. Diane is a great player and I think she’s had a really good year so congrats to her for the year she’s done. I’m really happy to be in the second round,” Eala, who’s currently ranked world No. 20, said in a post-game interview.
The Filipina tennis ace’s Ningbo Open victory came just after her early exit at the Wuhan Open, where she conceded to World No. 177 Shi Han of China, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, in the round of 64.
Previously, Eala had also settled for bronze at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, after absorbing a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss at the hand of China’s Wang Xiyu in the semifinals of the women’s singles. – Rappler.com
