Alex Eala targets back-to-back wins at Jingshan, meets Japan’s Yamaguchi next 

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala looks to continue her strong run at the 2025 Jingshan Tennis Open in China as she takes on Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi in the women’s singles Round of 16 on Thursday.

Eala, seeded No. 1 in the WTA 125 tournament, opened her campaign with a hard-earned 6-3, 7-5 victory over Belarus’ Aliona Falei. The 20-year-old had to regroup in the second set after requiring a brief medical timeout, but her composure down the stretch secured her place in the next round.

Currently ranked World No. 58, Eala enters the matchup fresh from her breakthrough title run at the Guadalajara Open earlier this month, where she captured her maiden WTA 125 crown by rallying past Hungary’s Panna Udvardy in three sets.

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For the round of 16 in the Jingshan Tennis Open, Alex Eala will face Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi who is ranked WTA#268.

Good luck, Alex!

Screengrab WTA Site pic.twitter.com/3bOS3XIatI

— Dyan Castillejo (@DYANCASTILLEJO) September 23, 2025

Her opponent, World No. 268 Yamaguchi, is coming off a convincing 6-4, 6-1 win against Hong Kong’s Hong Yi Cody Wong in the first round. The 26-year-old Japanese netter has two ITF singles titles to her name and previously reached a career-high of World No. 242 earlier this year.

While Eala is favored on paper, the clash promises intrigue, with Yamaguchi looking to play spoiler against the tournament’s top seed.

A win would push Eala into the quarterfinals and keep her quest for a second WTA crown on track, further cementing her reputation as one of Asia’s rising tennis stars. 

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