Alex Eala continued her stellar run in the Italian Open as she swept world No. 33 Wang Xinyu of China, 6-4, 6-3, in the Round of 64 at the Foro Italico in Rome on Friday.

The 20-year-old Eala needed one hour and 26 minutes as she exacted payback on Wang, who defeated her in the semifinal of the Auckland Open in New Zealand last January.

Eala broke a 4-4 tie in the first set after holding her serve before breaking that of her Chinese foe for a 1-0 lead.

Down 2-3 in the second frame, the Rafael Nadal Academy alumna broke Wang’s serve as she won the next four games to seal the match.

Should everything fall into place, Eala could face No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who is competing against No. 47 Maria Sakkari of Greece as of press time, in another Round of 32 clash.

The date and time for Eala’s next match have yet to be determined.

She credited her constant exposure in high-level clay tournaments like the Linz Open in Austria and the Stuttgart Open in Germany, two Women’s Tennis Association 500 tournaments last April, helped her adapt to the demands of playing on clay courts at a professional level despite her early exits.

She won her first-ever Italian Open main draw match after beating No. 45 Magdalena Frech of Poland, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, in the Round of 128 last Wednesday.

“I’m starting to build that relationship with clay, especially at this level. I competed on clay many times growing up,but playing professionally is a different game,” Eala said.

“This is my first season playing these high-level clay tournaments consistently.

I played the 500 tournaments in Linz and Stuttgart, then the 1000-level events, and eventually Roland Garros. I’m finding my footing and I know I can do well.”

Eala said the changes aren”t just statistical as she felt the changes whenever she plays.

“I’m physically and mentally a much better player than I was last year. My team and I have been working hard, and hopefully the things we’ve worked on continue to show in my game,” Eala said.