Alex Eala advances to Suzhou Open quarterfinals after gritty win over Belgium’s Greet Minnen

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala kept her Suzhou Open campaign alive after outlasting Belgium’s Greet Minnen in a three-set thriller, 7-6, 6-7, 6-5, on Wednesday to book a spot in the quarterfinals of the WTA 125 tournament in China.

Eala, 20, showed her composure in the opening frame despite the constant momentum shifts. After building a 4-2 advantage, Minnen stormed back to tie at 4-all before the set turned into a tug-of-war. 

The Filipina gained the upper hand at 5-4, but Minnen rallied once more to force another deadlock. At 6-5, Eala nearly lost the set with her opponent racing to a 40-15 lead, but she dug deep to force a tiebreak and eventually pulled through, 7-6, to claim the opener.

Minnen, however, refused to bow down. The Belgian veteran bounced back in the second set, seizing an early 3-2 lead and extending it to 4-2. Eala fought back to tie at 4-all, but the set remained tight as the two traded games all the way to 6-6.

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GREET JOB, ALEX

Alex Eala delivers another inspired performance, ousting Belgium’s Greet Minnen, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5, to secure her spot in the Suzhou Open quarterfinals.#SuzhouOpen #AlexEala pic.twitter.com/2qYsgVi3vm

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) October 1, 2025

In the crucial moments, Minnen proved steadier and closed out the frame, 7-6, forcing a deciding third set.

The decider was no less dramatic. Eala opened with a 1-0 lead before Minnen answered to level at 1-all. From there, it was another back-and-forth battle, with neither player pulling away. Eala went up 2-1, only to see Minnen tie it again. 

She inched ahead 3-2, then 4-3, but every time Minnen clawed back to even the score. At 5-5, the Filipina showed her resilience once more, digging deep to earn the pivotal 6-5 advantage and seal the victory.

With the win, Eala moves into the quarterfinals, where she will face Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, the world No. 70.

The Suzhou Open marks another important test for Eala, who continues to build her resume on the WTA circuit. A victory against Golubic would give her a breakthrough semifinal berth at the tournament, further boosting her climb up the rankings.

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