By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala encountered stiff resistance early from unseeded Chinese Lu Jiajing before controlling the match with a dazzling display of power on the way to a 6-4, 6-1 victory and into the semifinals of the 2025 Jingshan Tennis Open in China on Friday, Sept. 26.
The top-seeded Filipina broke a 4-all deadlock by winning the next two games to claim the opening set, then dictated the pace in the second to move two games away from winning her second Women’s Tennis Association (WTA125) title.
With the win, the 20-year-old Eala arranged a Final Four clash with third seed Lulu Sun of New Zealand, who earlier dispatched Elena Pridankina, 6-2, 6-4.
This will be the second meeting between Eala and Sun on the WTA circuit, and the Filipina sports darling hopes to get even.
They first faced off in the qualifying round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where the Kiwi prevailed in straight sets, 7-6 (3), 7-5.
The 24-year-old Sun is currently ranked No. 146 in the WTA singles rankings – 88 rungs behind Eala, who sits at No. 58. Both are left-handers.
Sun, however, reached a career-high ranking of No. 39 in September last year, following a breakout performance at the 2024 Wimbledon. There, she stormed through the qualifiers and pulled off stunning wins –including over eighth seed Zheng Qinwen and 2021 champion Emma Raducanu – to reach the quarterfinals.
Her most recent appearance before Jingshan was at the US Open, where she reached the Round of 64. There, Eala hurdled her first round after stunning 14th seed Clara Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (11), in a win that was considered historic in PH tennis in an Open era.
Eala captured her maiden WTA title at the Guadalajara Open earlier this month, followed by a quarterfinal finish at the Sao Paulo Open in Brazil.
