Alex Eala overcomes rain delays, outlasts Katarzyna Kawa in Suzhou Open thriller

Alex Eala’s Suzhou Open debut was anything but straightforward as rain delays and a resilient Katarzyna Kawa stretched her first-round match into a three-set marathon on Monday in Suzhou, China.

The match, originally set for 10:00 a.m. (PH time), was delayed nearly two hours before play began around noon. Early on, the two traded service holds, deadlocked at 2-all when another downpour forced officials to suspend play. At that point, the Filipina was up 15-0 in the fifth game.

When action resumed, the fourth-seeded Eala quickly imposed her game. She broke Kawa’s serve to go up 3-2, absorbed a brief pushback from the Polish veteran, then rattled off three straight games to claim the opener, 6-3.

Kawa, however, responded with poise in the second set. The 32-year-old built a 3-1 cushion and weathered Eala’s attempts to draw level, eventually turning the tables with a 6-3 set win to force a decider.

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EALA SURVIVES

JUST IN: Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala outlasts Katarzyna Kawa of Poland in three sets to advance to the Round of 16 of the Suzhou WTA 125 Open in China!

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The third set became a tense back-and-forth battle. Eala went ahead 3-2, only for Kawa to surge back 4-3. With the score tied again at 5-all, the 20-year-old Filipina showed her composure under pressure, stringing together the last two games to secure a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 triumph and a spot in the next round.

The victory continues Eala’s strong run in China, where she fell short toward a semifinal finish at the Jingshan Open last week. 

Kawa, meanwhile, entered the tournament with momentum of her own after a solid campaign in the ITF circuit this season. Despite falling short, the Polish ace pushed the younger Eala to the brink, showcasing her veteran shot-making in the second set.

With the win, Eala keeps her momentum rolling in Asia’s fall swing and remains in the hunt for her second career WTA 125 title as she faces Belgium’s Greet Minnen in the Round of 16.

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