Alex Eala dug deep to outlast Belgium’s Greet Minnen in three sets and secure a quarterfinal berth at the Suzhou WTA 125 tournament.
Alex Eala displayed grit under pressure to advance to the quarterfinals of the Suzhou WTA 125 tournament in China after edging Belgium’s Greet Minnen in a tight Round of 16 showdown, 7-6(5), 6(3)-7, 7-5, on Wednesday, October 1.
Seeded fourth in the tournament, Eala showed poise under pressure as the match stretched past the two-hour mark. After surviving a first-set tiebreak, she dropped the second in another nail-biting breaker, forcing the Filipina to dig deep in the decider.
In the third set, Eala held firm in crucial moments. She opened strong, traded blows with Minnen throughout, and after being tied at 5-all, regained control to edge ahead 6-5.
Serving for the match, the 20-year-old calmly closed it out to complete the hard-earned victory.
Eala had earlier kicked off her Suzhou campaign with another three-set win against Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa, showing consistency in high-pressure situations.
With the win, Eala booked a quarterfinal clash against Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, world No. 70, as she looks to continue her strong run on Chinese soil.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
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