Alex Eala’s stint at the Suzhou Open in China has ended after a grueling 3-Set battle against Swiss opponent, Viktorija Golubic, today October 3.
Failed Comeback Resulting in a QF Loss
Alex Eala actually started strong in the opening set.
Despite conceding the first game, she quickly steadied her serve and struck back with a dominant stretch. Using sharp returns and consistent rallies against Golubic’s tricky one-handed backhand, the 20-year-old strung together six straight games to take the set.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 1: 6-2
Momentum shifted dramatically in the second frame. Golubic, seeded sixth and a 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, began dictating play with precision and variety, jumping to a 4-0 advantage before completely getting ahead and winning Set 2.
Unforced errors piled up for Eala, who struggled to regain the rhythm she had in the first set, leaving the match to be decided in another grueling third set, which was the third straight three-setter of her tournament run.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 2: 6-2
The deciding set proved to be a rollercoaster. Both players traded games early, remaining level at 2-all and later at 3-all.
No. 70 Golubic then surged ahead 5-2, seemingly on the brink of victory, but No. 58 Eala refused to fold. Showing grit, she stormed back with three consecutive games, moving in front 6-5 and positioning herself a game away from the semifinals. At 40-15 in the twelfth game, the Filipina even held two match points, but could not finish the job.
That missed opportunity opened the door for Golubic, who saved both match points, forced deuce, and equalized at 6-all after winning a series of crucial rallies. From there, the tiebreak became one-way traffic.
The Swiss veteran blanked Eala 7-0, closing the contest with a forehand winner to book her place in the semifinals against world No. 44 Tatjana Maria of Germany.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 3: 7-6(0)
The defeat was crushing for the fourth-seeded Eala, who had been on the verge of advancing after another comeback surge late in the third set.
Up Next: A Short Rest Before Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open 2025
After playing 3 games that all went to 3 sets, Eala will finally have a short time to recover as she takes some rest.
Though Eala isn’t in the official player list yet, according to reports, she’ll now play in the upcoming Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open 2025, which is still in China.
The WTA 1000 Wuhan Open is scheduled to last from October 6 to 12.
The 20 year old from the Philippines is also expected to move up the rankings before joining in the tournament, even as high as No. 54.
Prior to this QF exit, Eala fought Katarzyna Kawa in Round of 32 in which their match had to experience multiple game delays because of the rain, but it also went to Set 3. Then, Alex played against Greet Minnen and after 3-Hours of non-stop battle, she still went out victorious.
