Alex Eala’s Mental Edge Unlocked Her Hong Kong Quarterfinal Win

Alex Eala said mental fortitude was the deciding factor in her breakthrough win over Tereza Valentova at the Hong Kong Open.

The 21-year-old Filipina advanced to the quarterfinals of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Thursday night, November 5, at Victoria Park Centre Court.

She defeated the Czech teenager 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) in a gripping second-round match that lasted one hour and 54 minutes.

The victory ended a two-match losing streak against Valentova, who had beaten Eala in straight sets in Osaka last October and in Doha this February.

In her post-match press conference, Eala admitted she had to dig deep to grind through long, grueling rallies and a tense second-set tiebreak.

She said she came prepared, applying lessons learned from her previous two encounters with Valentova.

“You don't go into battle without a plan,” Eala told reporters.

“Of course, the previous two meetings were super difficult, so I knew it was going to be a tough battle. I just tried to be better than the previous time that we met.”

Fans online cheered that Eala's victory proved “third time's the charm,” referencing the head-to-head history.

But Eala offered a different perspective.

“I don't necessarily think that it's because it's the third time,” she said.

“But I really tried to stay present, and it was proven very difficult, as you could all see.”

Refining her approach for the third clash, Eala noted that “there were things that I deliberately tried to do differently tonight.”

Ultimately, the World No. 17 emphasized that mental fortitude was the deciding factor in securing the hard-fought win.

“That’s everyone’s goal… to try to improve every time they step onto court, right?” Eala said.

“I really did try to stay present, but it proved to be a little difficult. But I got through, and I think mental fortitude was the key in today’s match for me.”

Eala and Valentová delivered a memorable contest, continually trading momentum back and forth in a fierce tug-of-war.

Both players earned and saved match points during the second-set tiebreak.

Eala appeared headed toward a comfortable victory after racing to a 3-0 lead in the opening set.

Valentova fought back to level the score at 4-4 before Eala held serve and broke the Czech teenager to take the set.

The second set brought another test.

Valentova established a 5-3 advantage and threatened to force a deciding set.

Eala battled back to reach a tiebreak.

She surged ahead 5-0 in the tiebreak, only for Valentova to save three match points and level the score at 7-7.

Eala eventually closed out the contest on her fourth match point.

“I really had to fight through, especially with the chances that I had in the second set and to close out the match,” Eala said.

“So it took a lot of mental strength to do that, to be in the match, and to stay in the present. I'm really happy about it.”

During her on-court interview after the match, Eala was candid about how close the match came to slipping away.

“It was so tough, really, really tough,” she said.

She acknowledged Valentova's performance and admitted the match could easily have gone the other way.

“I'm really happy with that win. I think I escaped by a little bit,” Eala said.

The victory improved her career record against Valentova to 1-2.

Centre Court was packed with a vibrant crowd of Filipino supporters who cheered passionately for Eala throughout the November 5 match.

That same thunderous backing is expected on Friday, November 6, as Eala takes on Croatia's Antonia Ružić in the tournament quarterfinals.

Ružić, ranked No. 81 in the world, eliminated China's Wang Xinyu to secure her quarterfinal berth.

She defeated the sixth-seeded Wang 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in Thursday's second-round encounter.

The quarterfinal will be the first career meeting between Eala and Ružić.

Eala, ranked a career-high No. 17 in the world, enters the quarterfinal as the higher-ranked player.

However, the Croatian has already demonstrated her ability to overcome more established opponents.

For Eala, the challenge will be maintaining her composure after surviving a demanding encounter against a player who had previously caused her considerable problems.

Eala's 2026 season has been a successful one.

She has reached a career-high ranking and won some of the biggest matches of her young career.

But the Filipina star does not believe that she has reached her full potential.

During a press conference at the Hong Kong Open, Eala was asked about the improvements in her volleys and net play, which have become more noticeable during recent tournaments.

She admitted that this part of her game remains a work in progress, although she is quite happy with how useful it has become during the current season.

“I think I still have room for improvement, although it's been very useful this year,” Eala explained.