FILIPINA tennis star Alex Eala has officially booked her ticket to the Round of 16 of the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open after World No. 79 Katie Boulter retired in the second set, with Eala ahead 6-4, 2-1, on Tuesday.
Though it wasn’t the way Eala hoped to clinch the victory—especially after her strong and spirited start—the result stands, sending her through to the next round of the Hong Kong Open.
In front of a lively, Filipino-packed crowd at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium, Eala and Boulter delivered the day’s final Center Court match with intensity and excitement from the opening rally.
Composed Youngster
Eala struck first in the opening set, but Boulter quickly found ways to respond. The two exchanged powerful groundstrokes in a series of intense rallies, bringing the score to an even 2-2.
From there, the 20-year-old Eala built strong momentum and showed impressive unwavering composure, confidently breaking serve in the sixth game to decisively pull ahead 4-2 in control.
Still, experience came into play as the 29-year-old former World No. 23 displayed her trademark veteran poise and control, breaking Eala right back in the seventh game to tie things up at 4-4.
After reclaiming the lead at 5-4, Eala faced pressure as Boulter had two chances to level the set on her serve. But the Filipina held firm, converting her second break point after four deuces to secure the opening set.
On to the Next
Boulter opened the second set with intensity, breaking Eala for the second time in the match to grab a 1-0 advantage. Eala, however, immediately answered back with a break of her own to even the score.
Soon after regaining the lead at 2-1, Boulter called for her physio and ultimately decided she could not continue. It was an unfortunate end to the Briton’s campaign, especially after reaching the tournament finals just last year.
For Eala, the result served as a timely confidence boost, bouncing back from her first-round doubles exit on Monday alongside Chan Hao-Ching of Chinese Taipei.
Now holding a career-high world ranking of No. 51, Eala will have a day to rest before returning to the court on Thursday, where she will meet a familiar face — third-seeded 19-year-old Victoria Mboko of Canada.
It promises to be a challenging matchup, as Mboko, ranked No. 21, has recently surpassed Leylah Fernandez (No. 22) to become Canada’s highest-ranked female player.
