Eala falls to Shi in three-set battle, exits Wuhan

11 days after her defeat to Wang Xiyu in the 20th Asian Games semifinals, Alex Eala suffered yet another setback against a Chinese opponent. The Filipina tennis star ended her 2026 Wuhan Open campaign with a 6-4, 3-6, 3-6 loss to qualifier Shi Han of China in the round of 32 on Monday evening at Dongfeng Voyah Center Court. This becomes the second straight opening-round defeat for Eala on the WTA Tour, after losing in the last 16 at the Singapore Tennis Open to Tatiana Prozorova 6-4, 5-7, 3-6.