Eala outlasts Olympic champion Zheng for rousing Washington Open debut

FIST PUMP. Alex Eala in action for the Philippines in the 2026 Washington Open. Wick Photography for Mubadala DC Open Alex Eala avenges her Asian Games loss to Zheng Qinwen, reaching the Washington Open round of 16 to face defending champion Leylah Fernandez MANILA, Philippines – It may have been three years later, but Alex Eala finally got her payback on China’s Zheng Qinwen. Eala fought back from a set down against the former world No. 4 and Olympic champion and carved out a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win for a triumphant debut in the Washington Open in the United States on Tuesday, July 28 (Wednesday, July 29, Manila time). The victory allowed the Filipina to avenge her loss to Zheng in the 2023 Asian Games as Eala earned her spot in the round of 16, where she will face defending champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada. “I’m really happy with my win today,” said Eala, basking in the cheers of flag-toting Filipinos who came to watch her play. While the match marked the first time Eala and Zheng battled on the WTA Tour, they are no strangers to each other. Zheng held off an Eala turnaround in the semifinals of the previous Asian Games, pulling off a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 win to advance before going on to capture the gold medal. But this time, Eala completed her comeback as she dominated Zheng in the second half of the 2-hour, 26-minute duel by winning 9 of the last 10 games. Zheng, 23, still held a 4-3 lead in the second set before Eala clinched the next three games, breaking the Chinese twice, to force a decider. Eala won seven consecutive games overall as she mounted a commanding 4-0 lead in the third set and shut down any hopes of a Zheng fightback. One of the biggest servers on the WTA Tour, Zheng torched Eala with 14 aces, but she hurt her own chances after coughing up 46 unforced errors — the Chinese sealing her own fate with three consecutive errors to end the match. “He said that I have to keep going, because if I’m there every ball, I’ll have my chances,” said Eala when asked about what advice she received from coach Joan Bosch. “I did. Like always, he’s right.” Another familiar foe awaits world No. 28 Eala in the next round as she battles Fernandez for the second time this year. Eala fell to the Filipino-Canadian Fernandez in their first WTA Tour encounter, absorbing a 6-1, 6-4 loss in the opening round of the Stuttgart Open in Germany in April. “I think it’s going to be a very tough match for me. Leylah’s such an amazing player and an amazing person as well. I think, right now, my first priority is to recover, take care of my body so that I can arrive in the best shape possible to compete,” said Eala. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading