It’s a quick turnaround for Alex Eala, who kicks off her Suzhou Open campaign after her semifinal exit at the Jingshan Open in China.
Filipina tennis star Alex Eala begins her quest at the WTA 125 Suzhou Open with a Round of 32 clash against Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The 20-year-old Eala, ranked no. 58 in the world, enters the tournament as the fourth seed following a strong run at the Jingshan Open, where she reached the semifinals before bowing to eventual champion Lulu Sun, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6.
The result marked another deep run for Eala, who has shown consistent form since her breakthrough triumph at the Guadalajara Open.
She also notched a quarterfinal finish at the São Paulo Open before her semifinal berth in Jingshan, piling up points on the lower end of the WTA circuit.
Her opponent, the 32-year-old Kawa, is currently ranked no. 124 and comes off a Round of 32 exit in Guadalajara against American youngster Iva Jovic.
Kawa, however, brings experience and knows what it takes to trouble the Filipina, having defeated Eala in their only prior meeting back in 2022 at the W60 Templeton event, 6-2, 4-6, 6-0.
For Eala, this opening-round clash isn’t just about advancing—it’s also about redemption.
With higher seeding, sharper form, and confidence from recent results, the Filipina looks primed to flip the script against Kawa and keep her steady climb up the WTA rankings.
The match is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]