Alex Eala aims for redemption vs seed no. 3 Shnaider in Tokyo quarterfinals

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala takes on third seed Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open Friday on Center Court in Tokyo.

Eala, ranked No. 19 by the WTA, is coming off back-to-back wins in the Japanese capital.

She opened with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic, then rallied past Talia Gibson, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, firing nine aces in the comeback.

Meanwhile, world No. 13 Shnaider opened her Tokyo campaign with a 2.5-hour 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win over No. 112 Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the round of 16.

The match up is a very interesting one since like Eala, the 22-year-old Russian is left-handed.

She owns five WTA singles titles, including one WTA 500 event in Monterrey in 2025.

The other wins were in Hong Kong (WTA 250), Budapest (WTA 250), Bad Homburg (WTA 500) and Hua Hin (WTA 250) in 2024.

Last week in Ningbo, Shnaider beat Eala in two highly competitive close sets, 7-5, 6-4.

On Thursday, both Eala and Shnaider trained at noon at the outdoor practice courts of the Ariake Park in Tokyo.

The Filipina tennis star trained for 1.5 hours on Thursday with coach Joan Bosch and is ready to to go all-out for the rematch.

“She did good in tournaments in China… It’s a very tough match where we have nothing to lose. We already lost last week to her but we will try do all possible to make her uncomfortable as well,” Bosch said.

Right after her Round of 16 win and with the Eala-Gibson match still ongoing, Shnaider was asked about the mentality she has heading on to the quarters.

After the win vs Sashnovic, Shnaider stressed the importance of keeping a positive mentality on court “You just keep pushing, you keep playing, you don’t give up. You just stay consistent, stay in your game.”

With the tough match ahead, Bosch values the intense support Filipinos have for Eala. “We know they support us also not only when we win because they really love Alex. So love means that no matter the result, you have to support. If not, this is not real love.”

Eala will look to even the score and book a spot in the semifinals not before 4 p.m. today (Manila Time).

Prices for the quarterfinals today range from P10,100 (Courtside back rows) to P16,100 (Royal box). Courtside front rows are P13,700, while Superior seats are P15,500.