Alex Eala put on a clinic at the Jingshan Tennis Open, overwhelming Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3, to advance to the quarterfinals with barely a sweat broken.
The 20-year-old Filipina, currently ranked No. 58 in the world, didn’t have to show off her full shotmaking arsenal on the tournament’s hard courts to outclass her opponent in just 77 minutes.
Yamaguchi actually opened the match with a 15–0 lead but that flicker faded quickly. The Japanese pro struggled to keep the ball in play, overshooting the baseline repeatedly as Eala found her rhythm early. Eala broke serve six times, giving up just one, and finished with 62 total points to Yamaguchi’s 43.
The second set offered flashes of resistance. Yamaguchi clawed her way to three games and nearly took a fourth, but Eala calmly snuffed out the threat with controlled aggression and clever court coverage.
Top-seeded in the $160,000 WTA 125 event, Eala’s clean win not only spares her energy for the tougher matches ahead but could also nudge her ranking higher—especially if she maintains her current form through the tournament.
At 20, Eala’s game is maturing fast. She isn’t just winning matches; she’s dictating them, point by point, shot by shot. And in Jingshan, she looks ready to go deep.
