"I'm sure we will meet many, many more times" - Alexandra Eala predicts glittering future for latest British tennis talent after Pan Pacific Open clash

Alexandra Eala safely breezed past British wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic in the opening round of the Pan Pacific Open. Dropping just three games, the No.8 seed sailed to a 6-1, 6-2 triumph, but despite the one-sided scoreline was quick to praise the 17-year-old talent who possesses much potential in this sport.

Stojsavljevic received a wildcard for the tournament in a golden opportunity for the teenager. Her expertise on court has already been well documented on the ITF Tour, winning two titles, both of which came last year in Nottingham and Birmingham.

She really made a name for herself among the British contingent after being drafted into the Billie Jean King Cup team to face Australia. She stepped up to the task, replacing the likes of Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal without feeling the added pressure. Great Britain travelled halfway around the world to face a fully-strength Australian outfit and qualified for the finals. Stojsavljevic defeated the inform Talia Gibson 7-6(4), 7-5 to prove that potential was no joke.

She received wildcards for Queen's and Wimbledon, losing in the first round of both events. After a semi-final run in Birmingham in mid-October, she made the trip to Japan to feature in the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo.

Stepping onto the court, it would be a tall order for her against the youthful yet much more experienced Eala. The Filipina is touted as a rising star and yet is four years older than Stojsavljevic. A stark comparison. This showed in the result. While flashes of brilliance were on for show, Stojsavljevic produced a lot of unforced errors and this was capitalised upon as Eala converted 42% of her break points. She would bow out, but many lessons have been taken on board.

Following the victory, Eala spoke highly of her opponent while hinting at a future where they meet on a regular basis. "I think it was super important today to be focused in every single point," she said in her on-court interview. "Playing against Mika for the first time was a great experience, and I'm sure we will meet many, many more times."

Eala produced a business-like performance on court, winning 72% of first serve points and 59% on second serve. She faced three consecutive break points and defended them all, winning 60 points compared to Stojsavljevic's 40.

Judging by her high praise of Stojsavljevic, Eala was very much in the zone and concentrating on producing a solid performance. "I think she has a really good level and I'll see her many more times on Tour," she continued. "But yeah, I think it was super important to be focused, especially in the first round and try to keep the intensity up."

An aggressive style of play was on for show by Eala, attacking the serve. "I think it's a part of my style. She's a great server. I definitely think that's one of the key points from the match today. That's one of the things that made it a bit more difficult for me, so I'm really happy that I was able to do that."

Both former junior US Open champions, the pathway to the top is clear for Stojsavljevic, but it will take time. British tennis has gone through a tricky time as of late with the likes of Raducanu and Jack Draper unable to kick on thanks to injury. However, a Wuhan Open final run for Kartal and Boulter featuring in the semi-finals of last week's Japan Open is a step in the right direction.

As for Eala, she marches on into the second round. She prevented Stojsavljevic from having a rematch against Gibson, with another showdown against Diana Shnaider possibly on the cards in the quarter-finals.