Alexandra Eala overcame the challenge presented by Emerson Jones on Tuesday.
Eala was made to work hard by the Australian youngster, before triumphing 6-4, 6-3 in the Hong Kong Open first round.
As the second seed in Hong Kong, Eala is one of the tournament favourites.
With that being said, Eala is most certainly at risk of suffering an upset in her second-round match.
Alexandra Eala’s poor record versus Tereza Valentova
After defeating Jones, Eala is due to play Czech youngster Tereza Valentova in the Hong Kong Open second round.
Will Alex Eala win a Grand Slam in 2027?
If so, which one does she take?
Without context, this may seem like a pretty routine affair for Eala: Valentova is ranked 85th on the WTA Tour and has yet to truly fulfil her potential.
However, context is most certainly an important factor when previewing this second-round match.
Eala has never defeated Valentova on the professional circuit, losing at the 2025 Japan Open and the 2026 Qatar Open.
In fact, Eala has yet to win a set against the talented Czech player.
Alex Eala vs Tereza Valentova on the WTA Tour
- 2025 Osaka Open: Tereza Valentova defeated Alex Eala 6-1, 6-2 in the round of 32
- 2026 Qatar Open: Tereza Valentova defeated Alex Eala 7-6, 6-1 in the round of 64
Valentova has been a thorn in Eala’s side in the past – will the 19-year-old stun the Filipina once again on Thursday?
Who could Alex Eala or Tereza Valentova play in the Hong Kong Open quarter-finals?
The winner of Eala and Valentova will play one of three players in the Hong Kong Open quarter-finals: Xinyu Wang, Alina Charaeva, or Antonia Ruzic.
Wang advanced to the second round on Monday after defeating Adithya Karunaratne. Ruzic and Charaeva will play their first-round match on Wednesday.
The player who advances to the semi-finals will likely face either fourth seed Maria Sakkari or fifth seed Talia Gibson.
Victoria Mboko is the defending Hong Kong Open champion. The Canadian youngster defeated Alex Eala, Anna Kalinskaya and Cristina Bucsa en route to the 2025 title.
Mboko is not defending her title this year – she is still recovering from an injury suffered at the Queen’s Club Championships in June.
