Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala needed three sets to beat Polish foe Katarzyna Kawa in her first match of the WTA 125 Suzhou Open.
Alex Eala avoided a meltdown to take the victory in three sets against Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, in the first round of the WTA 125 Suzhou Open in China on Tuesday.
After rain delayed the match for hours, Eala recovered despite failing to close things out in set 2, marching forward as the 4-seed in the tournament — her second of a string of competitions within Asia.
This is her second stint in China after the Jingshan Open last week.
The 20-year-old needed two and a half hours to fend off her lower-ranked foe, including a third set that lasted almost an hour.
Eala looked in control when she started the third set with a 3-1 advantage.
But Kawa clawed back with a rally — winning three straight games and seizing the momentum with the 4-3 lead midway through the decider.
Fortunately, Eala was able to use her serve well in game 8 to tie the match at 4-4 before breaking the Pole’s service game in game 9 to regain the advantage with the breakpoint.
Eala still needed an extended third set to finish off her foe after the match was tied at 5-5, when Eala’s serve was broken.
The Filipina needed three match points before finally clinching victory in the tightly-contested opening match.
She sets up a Round of 16 clash against Belgium’s Greet Minnen for Wednesday, October 1.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.