Tokyo [Japan], October 29: One week after Diana Shnaider defeated Alexandra Eala in a terrific barnburner at the BNB Ningbo Open on Wednesday, the pair will meet for a second time in the Toray Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals.
Both rising talents won their second-round contests in three sets on Wednesday. No. 3 seed Shnaider overcame qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in 2 hours and 31 minutes, before No. 8 seed Eala recovered from losing the opener to roar through 12 of the last 14 games, defeating Talia Gibson 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in 1 hour and 53 minutes.
"It's definitely sometimes tough to play someone who already won two matches in qualifying and one match in the main draw when you're just starting your first match on a new surface," Shnaider said afterwards."She played an unbelievable second set -- very high quality, I think. Not much I could have done there. But in the the third set I was just trying to fight for every point and see if she could keep up the same level as in the second set."
Initially overpowered by Gibson, Eala's level rose as the match went on, and she ended it by running away with the last nine games in a row. The turnaround began at the end of the first set, when Gibson blinked as she failed to serve it out at 5-3.The Singapore finalist got over the line in the next game thanks to a dead net cord, but the momentum had shifted towards Eala - and the 21-year-old pressed home her advantage with a succession of brilliant returns in the second set. (WTA)
Source: Qatar Tribune