ALEX Eala bucked a sluggish start to turn back Talia Gibson, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, and advance to the WTA500 Toray Pan Pacific Open quarterfinals in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Putting behind a close loss in the first set, the Filipina tennis star was in fine form from then on, immediately breaking the Aussie's serve to start Set 2 and grabbed a 3-1 lead.
The eight-seeded Eala missed two set points and even faced a break point against Gibson, but her superb forehand forced the world No. 36 to send the ball out to level the match at one set all.
READ Eala falls to world No. 13 Shnaider in Ningbo Open Round of 16
"The first set was difficult and I had my chances, but I just knew I had to continue to keep myself in getting more chances," said Eala.
That would be the first of seven straight games won for Eala as she delivered a bagel in the deciding set, capping off the victory with a superb forehand which Gibson could not return.
The win, wrapped up in a little less than two hours, was one of the better performances for the world No. 19 who has suffered from poor form since a historic run to the Round of 16 at the US Open.
Against Gibson, the 21-year old had nine aces and nine winners while winning 72-percent of her first serves in a victory that guaranteed her a $33,475 cash prize on top of 108 ranking points.
The win also set up a grudge match against world No. 13 Diana Shnaider, who beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3, in their own round-of-16 match.
It was just last week when Shnaider got the better of Eala, 7-5, 6-4, in the Round of 16 of the Ningbo Open - a loss the Filipina will be looking to avenge.
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