Shi Han Upsets No. 19 Alexandra Eala at Wuhan Open

"I'm really excited now because my opponent, their ranking is [No. 19]," Shi said. "I think I played really well today, and we also played a very good match. I'm so happy to win this match."

Shi attributed her success to patience and determination on the court, stating, "I tried my best on the court, and I tried to save every ball."

This victory follows her earlier matches in Wuhan, where she also came from behind to defeat Peyton Stearns in the first round of qualifying and then beat Kamilla Rakhimova in the main draw. Just two weeks prior, Shi had a strong showing against eventual champion Zheng Qinwen in Beijing, pushing her to three sets.

Notably, Shi achieved her first WTA 1000 main-draw win and her first since Hong Kong in 2024, making this a significant milestone in her career.

The match began with a tightly contested first set, where Eala broke to clinch a narrow lead. However, Shi shifted the momentum her way after trailing in the second, winning four consecutive games to force a decisive third set. She continued her dominance, opening the final set with a 3-0 lead.

In her last four service games, Shi won 16 of 18 points, ultimately serving out the match confidently to secure the first Top 20 victory of her career. Key statistics reflected her performance favorably, with Shi hitting more aces (4-0) and winners (31 to 20), while also committing fewer unforced errors (33 to 37).

At 21, Shi holds a career-high ranking of No. 200 in singles and has clinched seven ITF singles titles, four of which came this season. After making her WTA Tour debut at the 2024 China Open, this victory stands out as a turning point in her career.

Shi will advance to face Leylah Fernandez in the second round, who defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova earlier on Monday, marking their first meeting.