Tuesday’s opening-round win was a battle.
Wednesday’s second-round victory, however, was a war of attrition and willpower.
Alex Eala elevated her game when it mattered most, overcoming 28-year-old former World No. 59 Greet Minnen of Belgium in a thrilling three-setter, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 7-5 in the Round of 16 at the Suzhou Ladies Open, held at the Sungent International Tennis Center in Suzhou, China.
Seeded fourth in the WTA 125 event, Eala was pushed to the limit in Tuesday’s first round, prevailing over Polish veteran Katarzyna Kawa in a grueling two hours and 27 minutes.
Against World No. 106 Minnen, Eala again displayed remarkable poise under pressure in a battle that lasted three hours.
The World No. 58 Eala drew first blood with a service break in the second game and surged to a 4-1 lead.
Minnen, however, refused to back down, clawing her way back to force a tiebreak. The Belgian briefly threatened to pull away at 4-2, but Eala held her nerve to take the set, 7-5.
In the second set, the 20-year-old Filipina found herself trailing 2-4. Mirroring her performance in the opener, she rallied to tie the set at 4-4.
The two were evenly matched through the remainder of the set, but Minnen seized control in the tiebreak, 7-3, sending the match to a decider.
The third set provided a fitting climax to an epic encounter. Both players held serve through the first 11 games, with Eala earning a break point and match point in the 10th game.
On her third opportunity in the 12th game, Eala finally converted her break point, eliminating the resilient Belgian.
Eala will have a day to rest before facing Swiss No. 2 and World No. 70 Viktorija Golubic in the quarterfinals on Friday.
The 32-year-old Golubic, a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist with a career-high ranking of No. 35, also reached the third round of the 2024 Australian Open.
Eala comes into the match following the WTA 125 Jingshan Open, where she fell in the semifinals to eventual champion Lulu Sun of New Zealand in three sets.
