Alex Eala rallies past Talia Gibson to reach Pan Pacific Open quarterfinals

Filipina tennis player Alex Eala came from a set down to beat Australia's Talia Gibson, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, on Wednesday night and book a quarterfinal spot at the 2026 Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Edge Davao reported.

The opening set stayed on serve through the first seven games before Gibson broke in the eighth for a 5-3 lead. Eala broke straight back, but Gibson took advantage of errors from the Filipina in the following game to close out the set, 6-4.

Eala turned the match around in the second set, breaking Gibson in the first game and building a 2-0 lead. A second break put her ahead 5-2, and she went on to take the set 6-2 to force a decider. She did not drop a game in the third set. Gibson pushed the sixth game to three deuces, but a string of errors handed Eala the win after one hour and 53 minutes.

The 21-year-old finished with nine aces and six breaks of serve, and was increasingly able to neutralise Gibson's first serve as the match went on.

Eala said persistence was the key. "I think [the key was] really staying in the match, never giving up," she said after the match, adding that she had chances in the first set and trusted that staying focused would bring more. She described her performance as a gradual rise in level built on small details and better decisions on important points.

She also thanked the Filipino fans who cheered for her in Tokyo, saying their support helps create a great atmosphere.

Eala, ranked world No. 19, will next play No. 13 Diana Shnaider of Russia in a rematch of their recent meeting at the Ningbo Open, which Shnaider won. Shnaider reached the last eight by defeating Belarus's Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.

Elsewhere in the draw, world No. 1 Elena Rybakina was scheduled to open her campaign on Thursday against fellow Kazakh Yulia Putintseva, while Japan's Naomi Osaka was set to face Slovakian wild card Mia Pohankova.