Alex Eala looks to ride her recent momentum as she faces Belgium’s Greet Minnen in the Round of 16 of the WTA 125 Suzhou Open in China.
Alex Eala looks to keep her momentum going when she battles Belgium’s Greet Minnen in the Round of 16 of the WTA 125 Suzhou Open on Wednesday, September 20, in China.
The 20-year-old Filipina, seeded fourth, needed three sets to outlast Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, in a rain-delayed first-round duel on Tuesday.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala overcomes tough Katarzyna Kawa in rain delayed WTA125 Suzhou opener]
After a suspension halted play at 2-2 in the opening set, Eala came out sharper upon resumption, grinding her way to the finish despite dropping the second frame.
Her victory came just days after a semifinal exit to Lulu Sun in the Jingshan Open, part of what has been a hectic September swing that already saw her claim a maiden WTA crown at the Guadalajara 125 Open.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala focused on finding consistency in high-level tennis amid breakthrough year]
Standing in her way next is the 28-year-old Minnen, who breezed past China’s Shi Han, 6-4, 6-0, in her opener.
Ranked 88th in the world, Minnen brings more experience to the court, but Eala, currently no. 58, will look to lean on her recent surge to reach another quarterfinal.
The match is scheduled for 12:20 p.m.
(With reports from Kiko Demigillo)
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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.]