Tennis: Alex Eala makes quick exit at Wuhan Open singles after loss to China’s Han Shi

MANILA (UPDATED) — Alex Eala’s campaign in the singles draw of the 2026 Wuhan Open came to a quick end on Monday night, as she lost to China’s Han Shi in the first round at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center.

Shi, a 21-year-old qualifier, overcame an opening set loss to take a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over world No. 18 Eala.

Han entered the main draw after beating Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan. This marked the biggest win of her career, having come into the match ranked 231st by the WTA.

Eala started comfortably to lead 1-0 and controlled the baseline exchanges. Shi levelled at 1-1 with an ace on 40-30, and the set stayed close. 

Eala then broke for 3-2 and won a lengthy rally to move ahead, 4-3. But Shi refused to be shaken, holding for 4-4 in a brutal ninth game where Eala had to save two break points to eventually take it 5-4.

Shi was up 40-0 in the final game, but Eala reeled off six straight points to seal the first set 6-4 with a backhand winner.

The second set shifted the momentum entirely. Shi’s backhand began finding short angles and deep corners off second serves to lead 4-3 for the first time in the match. 

Shi never looked back, taking the set 6-3.

In the third set, Shi won seven straight games from 2-3 down in the second set into the decider, surging to a 3-0 then 4-1 lead.

At 5-2, she hammered two aces in a row followed by a forehand line winner to stand one game from the upset and closed it out 6-3.

Eala will still play in the doubles draw with Zeynep Sönmez of Turkey.

Meanwhile, Shi will be up against Leylah Fernandez in the second round.

Earlier, world number 91 Wang Xiyu opened up the evening session with a near-flawless 6-2, 6-0 performance against her compatriot Wang Xinyu in what was a highly-anticipated Chinese derby.

The left-handed Xiyu, who recently clinched the gold medal at the Asian Games to secure qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, won the last nine games of the contest with Xinyu to set up a second-round meeting with fellow wildcard Mia Pohankova.

Meanwhile, freshly-crowned China Open champion Zheng Qinwen announced her withdrawal from her home tournament in Wuhan citing fatigue and a right shoulder injury, a day after becoming the first Chinese player to clinch the Beijing title.

Mirra Andreeva, the player Zheng beat in the Beijing final, also withdrew, citing a change of schedule, as the duo joined a growing list of high-profile Wuhan absentees that includes world number one Elena Rybakina, last year’s champion Coco Gauff and reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.