Italian Open 2026: Alexandra Eala advances past Wang Xinyu in straight sets

Philippines tennis star Alexandra Eala fought back from a nervous second set to record her career’s first victory over Wang Xinyu and advance to the Round of 32 at the 2026 Italian Open on Friday (8 May).

Eala and Wang have faced each other once before, at the 2026 Auckland Classic in January where the Olympic mixed doubles silver medallist beat Eala in three sets (7-5, 5-7, 4-6) in the semi-final.

Almost four months to the day since that loss in New Zealand, World No. 42 Eala stormed back to take the first set 6-4 in the Round of 64 match against the 31st seed from the People's Republic of China.

The two players went neck-and-neck in the second set before Eala broke away to take it 6-3.

Eala will face Greece’s Maria Sakkari or Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the next round.

It comes on the day that Amanda Anisimova withdrew due to injury, and Victoria Mboko pulled out because of illness.

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