WUHAN, CHINA — Filipina tennis standout Alex Eala suffered a tough opening-round exit at the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open on Monday, October 12, after falling to Chinese qualifier Han Shi, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6.
Eala started strong by taking the first set, but she ultimately lost momentum and struggled with 37 unforced errors throughout the match. The 21-year-old world No. 19 initially held a 3-2 lead in the second set before the 217th-ranked Han surged ahead to capture the next four games and force a deciding set.
Han maintained her momentum into the third, establishing a quick 3-0 advantage. Although Eala attempted a late rally, the Chinese qualifier regained control to seal the upset victory and secure a second-round match against Leylah Fernandez.
This early exit marks Eala’s second consecutive opening-match defeat on the WTA Tour, following a similar setback at the Singapore Open late last month.