Alex Eala battles Lulu Sun for Jingshan Open finals slot
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines and Lulu Sun of New Zealand clash in the 2025 Jingshan Open semifinals. –AFP FILE PHOTOS
LIVE: Alex Eala vs Lulu Sun – 2025 Jingshan Open semifinals
MANILA, Philippines–A familiar foe in Lulu Sun of New Zealand stands in the way of Alex Eala’s bid to reach the final of the 2025 Jingshan Tennis Open.
Eala and Sun collide on Saturday in the semifinals of the WTA 125 tournament in China.
READ: Alex Eala sweeps Lu Jiajing to reach Jingshan Open semifinals
The top-seeded Eala advanced after dispatching hometown bet Lu Jiajing, 6-4, 6-1, while No. 3 seed Sun booked her spot with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Elena Pridankina.
Just like Eala, Sun also hasn’t dropped a set so far in the tournament.
While the 20-year-old Filipino has the advantage in the WTA rankings at No. 58 against Sun’s No. 146, the Kiwi player holds the edge in their head-to-head matchup.
The last time these two players met, Sun got the better of Eala, 7-6(3), 7-5, in the final round of 2024 Wimbledon qualifiers.
READ: Tears of joy at New Zealand tennis club as Lulu Sun shines at Wimbledon
The 24-year-old then went on to make history as the first New Zealand woman to reach a Wimbledon quarterfinal, highlighted by a win over Emma Raducanu.
She reached a career best of 39 in the WTA rankings in September 2024.
Eala, meanwhile, is having a banner year, reaching a career-best No. 56 in June after historic runs in the Miami Open and Lexus Eastbourne Open.
She is fresh off a Guadalajara 125 title, a second-round appearance at the US Open, and a quarterfinal finish in the Sao Paulo Open.
