Alexandra Eala powers past Emerson Jones to reach Last 16 at Hong Kong Open

Tuesday, 03 November 2026 at 14:23

Alexandra Eala continues to thrive and win through some adversity to seal a strong win over Emerson Jones in front of a huge crowd at the Hong Kong Open. She won through 6-4, 6-3 in the end to book a last 16 spot.

The first set was comfortable for the most part, as she went 4-0 up and seemed to be cruising towards the opener. But that ended up faltering as she went 4-3 up, and Jones came back to ask the question. Eala broke for 5-3 and looked to avert all issues.

But back came Jones for 5-4 down in a set that, in theory, could've been very different in terms of the end product. Eala, though, managed to weather the storm and claim it to go 1-0 up.

The second followed a similar pattern as Eala streaked ahead, going 4-1 up with a break of serve, and looked to have swatted aside the Aussie resolve. But Jones again asked the question, breaking and holding for 5-3 down.

But Eala was 5-3 up at the point anyway, so she only needed one good game to seal it, and she did so, claiming the second in just under 40 minutes. She now moves on to face Tereza Valentova with Eala being the second seed this week in Hong Kong. Presumably a meeting with either Joint or Sakkari could be her fate in the latter stages.

Both set up a Last 16 clash earlier today, while for Eala it is likely Wang Xinyu who will be in the quarter-finals if she gets past Valentova. Wang faces Ruzic or Charaeva in the Last 16 with the bottom section getting filled out.

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Sorana Cirstea, in her last tournament, is top seed and faces Stoiana in the second round, who swept aside Venus Williams. Zeynep Sonmez and Katie Boulter also loom in that higher section, as does Leylah Fernandez, who faces Sofia Kenin. The latter tie faces Sonmez in the Last 16 in one of the lead standout clashes in Hong Kong.

But for Eala, she has started well and sent out an early marker against a rising opponent who keeps impressing, and she will look to end her best season so far in style.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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