Alex Eala faces Chinese Han Shi in Wuhan campaign opener

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino tennis ace and world No. 18 Alex Eala faces Chinese qualifier and world No. 231 Han Shi to start her WTA 1000 Wuhan Open campaign at the Dongfeng Voyah Center Court Monday evening. The Eala-Han match unfolds around 9 p.m. following the all-Chinese contest between Wang Xiyu and Wang Xinyu at 7:30 p.m. Eala's first round encounter against fellow 21-year-old Han will be her first since her bronze medal finish at the 20th Asian Games in Japan. Eala fell to Wang Xiyu in the semifinal to settle for bronze. Han advanced to the main draw after defeating Peyton Stearns, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, in the first round of the qualifiers on Saturday and Uzbek Kamilla Rakhimova in the second, 7-6, 6-1, on Sunday.