Alex Eala advances to Toray Pan Pacific quarterfinals after besting Talia Gibson

MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala pulled off a thrilling win over Australia’s Talia Gibson, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, in the Toray Pan Pacific Open round of 16 match in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, October 28. Eala had gotten off to a rough start after losing the first set to her World No. 38 opponent, 4-6. It had been smooth sailing in the succeeding sets, 6-2, 6-0, as she was able to contain Gibson by a large margin.

“I think really staying in the match [and] never giving up,” Eala explained in a post-game interview when asked what the key to her victory was. “The first set was difficult, and I had my chances, so I knew that if I kept my concentration I would have more chances. ” This is not the first time the two players went head-to-head. Eala and Gibson had previously played against each other at the IXXVII Open Generali Ciudad de Palma del Rio round of 16 in June 2023, and then…