Alex Eala met one of the toughest challenges in her career in the Round of 16 Suzhou Open in China as she moved on to the quarterfinals after a 3-hour battle today, October 1.
Unstoppable Force Meets an Immovable Object
After defeating Katarzyna Kawa in the Round of 32 yesterday, battling not just an elite opponent but the bad weather as well, their match had multiple delays.
Now in the Round of 16, she plays Greet Minnen of Belgium.
The 20-year-old Filipina, seeded fourth in the event, came out firing in the opening set, racing to a 3-0 lead in just ten minutes. Minnen, however, steadied and clawed her way back to force a tiebreak, but Eala regained her composure at the right time and claimed the set.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 1: 7 – 6(5)
In the second frame, the Belgian showed resilience, trading heavy groundstrokes with Eala before forcing another breaker. This time, Minnen held firm to level the match, extending the battle deep into the night.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 2: 7 – 6(3)
With the contest finely balanced, both players went toe-to-toe in the decider. Minnen matched Eala stride for stride, and they were deadlocked at 5-all. But the Filipina found another gear, breaking serve at the critical moment before calmly serving out the match to complete the marathon victory after 3 hours and 18 minutes.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 3: 7 – 5
The win sent Alex into her fourth straight WTA 125 quarterfinal, building on recent runs in Guadalajara, São Paulo, and Jingshan. Overall, it is her sixth quarterfinal appearance of the year, including deeper campaigns at the Miami Open and the Eastbourne Open.
Up Next: Quarterfinals Match vs Viktorija Golubic
The No. 58 Eala now faces another veteran athlete in the name of Viktorija Golubic from Switzerland.
The 32-year-old Golubic is ranked No. 70 and was able to beat Linda Fruhvirtova in the Round 16 with a score of 6-2 and 6-0 and fellow countrywoman Rebeka Masarova in the Round of 32 in just 2 sets, as well as 6-2 and 6-3.
This would be the first meeting between Eala and Golubic, and the quarterfinals clash is set to happen on Friday, October 3, with the time still to be determined.
