Filipino Tennis Star Eala Beats Kawa in Three-Set Thriller

Dubai, UAE — Filipino tennis star Alex Eala won her opening match at the Suzhou Open on Tuesday, defeating Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa in a challenging three-set match. Eala, ranked World No. 58 and seeded fourth in the tournament, triumphed with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

The match lasted two hours and 27 minutes, showcasing Eala’s resilience. After a competitive start, both players were tied at 2-2 in the first set when rain suspended play for several hours. Upon resuming, Eala quickly claimed the first set.

Kawa came back strong in the second set, shifting momentum her way to force a decisive third set. The final set was tightly contested, with the score tied at crucial points — 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5. Eala then pushed through to win the final two games, securing her victory.

Prior to this match, Eala reached the semi-finals at the Jingshan Open, where she lost to the lower-ranked Lulu Sun. Earlier this month, she celebrated her first professional title in Guadalajara, Mexico.

With this win, Eala advances to the round of 16 and is set to face Belgium’s Greet Minnen, who is ranked World No. 106, as she aims for her second career title.