Voltar
Second seed Alexandra Eala held off British lucky loser Emerson Jones in straight sets to advance to the second round of the Prudential Hong Kong Open on Tuesday evening.
Eala made a fast start, racing to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. Jones, who entered the main draw following the withdrawal of American Alycia Parks, fought back to close the gap to 4-3 before Eala held on to take the set 6-4.
The Filipino made another strong start in the second set, building a 5-1 lead. Jones recovered one of the breaks, but Eala held firm to complete a 6-4, 6-3 victory in one hour, 23 minutes.
Eala will next face Czech teenager Tereza Valentova, who defeated qualifier Himeno Sakatsume 6-3, 7-5 in another first-round match Tuesday.