Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

By Joel Reyes 

Alex Eala advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating sixth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 7-6 (5) on Wednesday (PH time) on Center Court at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

Eala needed one hour and 40 minutes to record the straight-sets win in the Round of 32. She got off to a strong start against Paolini, taking the first set 6-1 in just 25 minutes.

Eala then had to dig deep in the second set, needing five match-point opportunities before taking the tiebreaker.