MANILA – World No. 19 Alexandra Eala suffered a stunning early exit from the 2026 Wuhan Open after squandering a one-set advantage against China’s world No. 217 Shi Han, falling 6-4, 3-6, 3-6 in the Round of 64 on Monday night.
The 13th-seeded Filipina, who entered the WTA 1000 tournament as a heavy favorite against her lower-ranked opponent, failed to sustain her strong start as Shi mounted a spirited comeback before a home crowd at the Dongfeng Voyah Center Court.
Eala appeared headed for a comfortable victory after taking the opening set, 6-4, but the Chinese underdog turned the match around with successive 6-3 victories in the second and third sets to complete one of the tournament’s early upsets.
The defeat exposed Eala’s struggles with her serve and inability to capitalize on crucial opportunities, allowing Shi to dictate the exchanges as the match progressed.
The Filipina failed to register a single ace while committing six double faults. In contrast, Shi fired four aces and committed only three double faults.
Eala also struggled to convert her break-point opportunities, succeeding on just one of three chances for a 33.3-percent conversion rate. Shi, meanwhile, converted three of nine opportunities for the same percentage but made her breakthroughs count.
The Chinese player also dominated the overall points tally, winning 100 points against Eala’s 88, while enjoying a significant 40-26 advantage in receiving points.
Although both players registered identical 67-percent first-serve percentages, Shi proved more effective behind her deliveries, winning 74 percent of her first-serve points compared with Eala’s 62 percent.
The loss was particularly disappointing for Eala, who had received a first-round bye by virtue of her No. 13 seeding but failed to advance beyond her opening match.
It also marked another setback for the Filipina tennis star following her bronze-medal finish in women’s singles at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Eala’s Asian Games campaign ended in the semifinals against China’s Xiyu Wang, who eventually captured the gold medal.
The Wuhan defeat brought Eala’s singles campaign to an abrupt halt, while Shi advanced to the next round after securing a major victory over a player ranked 198 places above her./PN
