Alex Eala showed grit and composure in a true gut-check match, finding a way to turn things around just in time.
The Filipina tennis phenom battled for two hours and 27 minutes before finally outlasting Polish veteran Katarzyna Kawa, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, on Tuesday in the first round of the Suzhou Ladies Open at the Sungent International Tennis Center in Suzhou, China.
Eala and Kawa had previously crossed paths at the ITF Templeton Open in California back in 2022, where the then-17-year-old Eala fell, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
This time, Kawa quickly realized that today’s version of Eala is not only more mature but also equipped with a stronger finishing kick.
Coming off a solid run at the WTA 125 Jingshan Open the previous week, the 4th-seeded Eala carried her sharp form into Suzhou against a tough opponent in Kawa, who was part of Poland’s squad — captained by world no. 1 Iga Świątek — that reached the semifinals of the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup.
From a 2-2 deadlock in the opening set — which was interrupted for a few hours due to rain — Eala seized control. She broke the 32-year-old Kawa three times, taking four of the next five games to claim the set after 39 minutes.
Kawa, ranked no. 124 in the world, stormed back in the second set, racing to a 3-1 lead before stretching it to 5-2.
Eala stopped the run in the eighth game to cut the deficit to 5-3, but another rain delay stalled her momentum. When play resumed, Kawa quickly closed out the set in the ninth game to force a decider.
The World no. 58 looked in command early in the third, pulling ahead 3-1.
But Kawa showed the poise of a veteran, stringing together three straight games to snatch a 4-3 lead.
Eala, however, absorbed the blow and responded with a counter of her own — breaking Kawa twice while briefly dropping her own serve in the 10th. The Filipina then held firm in the 12th game to seal the hard-fought victory.
Eala will now aim for a spot in the quarterfinals when she faces another dangerous veteran in the second round: 28-year-old Belgian Greet Minnen, a former world no. 59.
