ALEXANDRA Eala showed her composure and consistency as she cruised past fellow former US Open girls’ champion Mika Stojsavljevic, 6-1, 6-2, in the first round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Monday in Tokyo.
The eighth-seeded Filipina needed just 75 minutes to dispatch the 17-year-old British wild card, using steady serving and disciplined shot-making to contain her opponent’s power.
Eala, 21, won the US Open girls’ singles title in 2022, two years before Stojsavljevic claimed the junior crown in 2024.
Stojsavljevic produced 24 winners to Eala’s eight, showing she could strike the ball with considerable power. But the Briton struggled to control her shots, committing 41 unforced errors that allowed Eala to dictate the match.
Eala, meanwhile, served solidly. She landed 68% of her first serves and won 72% of those points, limiting her opponent’s chances to threaten her service games.
Her biggest test came in the second set when Stojsavljevic earned three break points at 0-40. Eala responded with two service winners and an aggressive combination of shots to escape the jam and maintain control.
Stojsavljevic made her WTA main-draw debut in Tokyo two years ago as a wild card, pushing Moyuka Uchijima to three sets before losing, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6). She has since struggled to gain traction in subsequent main draws at the tour level.
Eala will next face Australian Talia Gibson, who defeated compatriot and qualifier Daria Kasatkina, 6-0, 7-5, in the first round.
Gibson won the first eight games before Kasatkina mounted a stronger challenge in the second set, forcing the Australian to work harder to close out the match.
Meanwhile, injuries forced two seeded players to withdraw from the Tokyo tournament.
Second seed Maja Chwalinska pulled out with a left thigh injury, while fourth seed and defending champion Belinda Bencic withdrew because of a right ankle injury.
Chwalinska, who won her first WTA title in Wuhan two weeks ago, was replaced by Australian Kimberly Birrell, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser and received a first-round bye. Birrell will face American qualifier Alycia Parks in the second round.
Parks advanced after defeating Wang Xinyu, 6-1, 7-6 (7), saving three set points in the second-set tiebreak.
Bencic’s withdrawal came after Monday’s final singles match had begun. Tournament officials will replace her with the highest-ranked lucky loser who signs in on Tuesday. WTA/FROM THE WIRES