Eala looks to carry renewed confidence into clash with world No. 13 Shnaider

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala plays China’s Wang Xiyu in the semifinals of women’s singles in the 2026 Asian Games, October 1, 2026 at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya. POC Media

MANILA — Alex Eala seeks to build on her dominant Ningbo opener as she faces world No. 13 Diana Shnaider in the Round of 16 on Thursday, with a quarterfinal berth at stake.

The Filipina takes on the 22-year-old left-hander for the first time, with their clash scheduled at 1 p.m. Manila time at the Yinzhou International Tennis Center in China.

Eala, currently ranked world No. 20, regained her winning form with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory over Frenchwoman Diane Parry on Monday, Oct. 19, ending a string of early exits in the Asian swing.

The Filipina ace will now face a higher-ranked opponent in Shnaider, who battled past Yulia Putintseva in a grueling two-hour-and-26-minute match, 7-5, 7-6 (4), to set up their second-round meeting.

A victory would send Eala into the quarterfinals, where she could meet familiar rivals Iva Jovic or Jasmine Paolini as she seeks to extend her Ningbo campaign.