Diana Shnaider edges Alexandra Eala in Tokyo thriller to reach semifinals

Shnaider vs Eala delivered another tense battle in Tokyo as Diana Shnaider recovered from a set down to reach the Toray Pan Pacific Open semifinals.

Shnaider recovered from losing the opening set to win 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in a match that lasted two hours and 52 minutes. It was her second victory over Eala in two weeks.

The result sent Shnaider into her fifth semifinal of the 2026 season, according to the WTA.

Shnaider vs Eala swings after the first set

Eala started strongly and controlled the opening set with aggressive returning and confident baseline play. Shnaider, however, stayed in the contest and forced the second set into a tiebreak.

Winning that tiebreak changed the momentum. Shnaider then found the key break in the deciding set and held her nerve late in the match.

For Eala, the defeat ended another competitive run against a high-level opponent. Her ability to push Shnaider deep into a deciding set showed the progress she continues to make on the WTA Tour.

Shnaider moves on to another Tokyo challenge

Shnaider’s reward is a semifinal against 18-year-old Mia Pohankova, who advanced after beating Alycia Parks.

The Tokyo result gives Shnaider another chance to reach a final in a season where she has repeatedly put herself in the closing stages of tournaments. However, the long quarterfinal could test her recovery before the next match.

For Eala, the focus will turn to building on a performance that showed both her attacking quality and growing confidence.

A rivalry that is building quickly

Shnaider and Eala have now produced two close matches in two weeks. Shnaider also beat Eala in Ningbo before their Tokyo quarterfinal, giving the 22-year-old back-to-back wins in the matchup. Tokyo marked Shnaider’s fifth semifinal of the 2026 season after runs in Adelaide, Roland Garros, Washington and Ningbo. Her next opponent is 18-year-old Mia Pohankova, who reached the last four after beating Alycia Parks.

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Featured image: Diana Shnaider before her singles match at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Photo by DarDarCH / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. File photo, not taken in Tokyo.