Alex Eala edges Czech foe in thriller, nabs Hong Kong Open quarterfinal spot

MANILA, Philippines – Filipina tennis superstar Alex Eala brushed off the threat of an extended match in the clutch, eking out a thrilling 6-4, 7-6(7) straight-setter against Czech rival Tereza Valentova to reach the 2026 Hong Kong Open quarterfinals on Thursday, November 5.

Down 5-3 in the second set after relentless back-and-forth action, Eala ignited the comeback fire with a love game to inch within 5-4, before completing a three-game turnaround to land at a 6-5 lead.

Valentova, however, stopped the bleeding in time to force the tiebreaker, 6-6.

Just as it looked like the 21-year-old Eala had her foe dead in the water with a 5-0 blitz in the race-to-seven finale, Valentova dug herself out with a scorching 6-1 rally of her own to set up yet another nail-biting finish for the Filipina sensation.

After four match points, Eala got the final break she needed on the serve, scoring the last two points to seal the deal and deny a valiant challenge from the world No. 85 Valentova.

“It was really, really tough. I think Tereza played incredibly, and we were able to bring the match to a really high level, and I think that was reflected on the scores,” Eala said after the match. “Really happy with that win, I think I escaped by a little bit.”

With the win, Eala also solved a yearlong puzzle featuring Valentova, as the Czech star swept the Filipina in their two previous meetings: a 6-1, 6-2 demolition in the 2025 Japan Open Round of 32 and a 7-6(6), 6-1 pullaway in the 2026 Qatar Open Round of 64.

“Of course, the previous two meetings [against her] were super difficult, so I knew it was going to be a tough battle,” Eala added. “I just tried to be better than the previous time we met.”

Eala faces another quick turnaround as world No. 81 Antonia Ruzic of Croatia awaits on the other side of the quarterfinal equation on Friday, November 6, around 7:40 pm. – Rappler.com