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| Philippine tennis star Alex Eala. Photo: Instagram. |
The 20-year-old star headlines the Jingshan Tennis Open semifinals, where she’s set to face New Zealand’s Lulu Sun on Saturday at 12:50 p.m. in China.
Eala, the tournament’s top seed, has been in fiery form this week. She breezed through her quarterfinal match against local favorite Jia-Jing Lu, 6-4, 6-1, showing the poise and power that have carried her through a breakout 2025.
SEMIFINALS BOUND ❤️🔥🇵ðŸ‡
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) September 26, 2025
Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala is heading to the semifinals of the WTA 25 Jingshan Tennis Open after smashing hometown bet Jia-jing Lu, 6-4, 6-1, in their quarterfinal matchup Friday in China.
Eala, the top seed of the tournament, will now try to make it… pic.twitter.com/7LfsRfRdOI
But Sun isn’t an easy hurdle. The 24-year-old Kiwi, seeded third, once peaked at World No. 39 and just dispatched Elena Pridankina in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
Fans might remember their tense Wimbledon qualifier last year, where Sun edged Eala in two nail-biting sets. This semifinal is a chance for Alex to flip that script.
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| New Zealand-born, Swiss-Raised Lulu Sun. Photo: Tennis.com. |
If Eala pulls through, it’ll be her third finals appearance this season after Eastbourne and Guadalajara—plus her second career WTA 125 championship match. Semifinalists are already guaranteed 49 ranking points and nearly $8,000 in prize money, but Alex is clearly hungry for more.
All eyes are on her. Can she turn revenge into redemption and punch her ticket to the finals?
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| Alex Eala. Photo: Instagram. |