Alex Eala bows out of Pan Pacific Open after three-set battle with Shnaider

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 31, 2026

Photo Courtesy: Reuters

Filipina tennis standout Alex Eala saw her campaign at the Toray Pan Pacific Open come to an end after falling to Russia’s Diana Shnaider in a hard-fought quarterfinal match in Tokyo on Friday.

Eala took the opening set convincingly, 6-2, but Shnaider fought back to claim the second set in a tiebreak, 7-6(5), before completing a comeback with a 6-4 victory in the decider.

The eighth-seeded Eala started strongly, recovering from an early deficit to win five consecutive games and seize control of the first set.

The second set proved much tighter, with neither player able to break serve as the match went into a tiebreak. Eala managed to erase Shnaider’s 5-3 advantage and level the score at 5-5, but a double fault gave the Russian the opening she needed to take the set.

Shnaider carried that momentum into the deciding set, building a 3-1 lead. Eala continued to fight but required medical attention for an issue with her foot during the set. The Russian eventually closed out the match with an ace after nearly three hours on court.

The defeat marked Eala’s second consecutive loss to Shnaider, who also defeated the Filipina at the Ningbo Open in China earlier in October.

Despite the quarterfinal exit, Eala now turns her attention to the Hong Kong Open next week, which is set to be her final tournament of the season.

The 21-year-old is coming off a breakthrough year highlighted by her historic Washington Open title in August, making her the first Filipino player to win a singles championship on the WTA Tour.