Alex Eala advances to 2026 Hong Kong Open Round of 16 after besting Emerson Jones

Alex Eala has secured her spot in the round of 16 in the 2026 Prudential Hong Kong Open after defeating Australia's Emerson Jones.

Eala defeated lucky loser Jones in their round-of-32 match on Nov. 3 at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium in Hong Kong. Jones replaced Alycia Parks, who withdrew from the tournament due to a shoulder injury.

Eala took an early 4-0 lead in the first set, but Jones won three straight games to close the gap. Eala broke her again and held on to win the set, 6-4.

In the second set, the Pinay tennis ace, currently World No. 17, broke Jones twice to take a 4-1 lead. Jones managed to break Eala's serve as she tried to close out the match, but Eala held on to win, 6-3.

After the match, Eala shared her excitement over the win and her return to Hong Kong. She also gave her appreciation for Jones who she described as a "sweetheart" and a "great player."

"Super happy to be here in Hong Kong, super happy with the performance, to be in front of you guys again. It was a really good match. Emerson is such a sweetheart off the court and such a great player on the court so looking forward to many more matches together in the future," Eala said during the post-match interview.

Eala also addressed the Pinoy-filled crowd in the stadium.

"I cannot say enough how much I enjoy playing in front of you guys. There are few places in the world that would be better to cap off this amazing season filled with all of you than here in Hong Kong, very close to home," she said. "Maraming salamat mga kababayan."

She is now set to face Czech Republic's Tereza Valentova in the round of 16 on Nov. 5.