Alex Eala survives Polish foe in tough WTA 125 Suzhou opener

October 1 ------ FOR her first match in a new tournament, Alex Eala had to grind through a tough three-setter, 6-3, 3-6, 7-45, to defeat world no. 124 Katarzyna Kawa of Poland in the WTA 125 event in Suzhou, China.

The world no. 58 and fourth seed of the tournament struggled to find her rhythm against the 32-year-old Polish veteran in a match that lasted two hours and 27 minutes. Eala, 20, first broke away from a 2-2 start before rain suspended play for several hours. Once the match resumed, the Filipina quickly closed out the opening set to gain the early advantage. Kawa, however, turned the tide in the second set to force a decider, where the score was tied three times—at 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5—before Eala dug deep to claim the last two games.

The Filipina came into Suzhou fresh from a semifinal exit at the Jingshan Open, where she fell to lower-ranked Lulu Sun. She now advances to the round of 16 to face Belgium’s Greet Minnen, world no. 106, as she continues her chase for a second career title after clinching her maiden crown earlier this month in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Source: spin.ph