Eala polishes off Pole foe

Alex Eala survived a tough test Tuesday after a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 victory over world No. 124 Katarzyna Kawa of Poland in the Round of 32 of the Suzhou Open in China.

Coming off a semifinal exit in the Jingshan Tennis Open over the weekend after losing 6-3, 4-6, 2-6 to eventual champion Lulu Sun of New Zealand, the 20-year-old took a bit of time to adjust before she finally found her groove at the Sungent International Tennis Center.

It took two hours and 27 minutes for the Rafael Nadal Academy graduate to eliminate the 32-year-old Polish bet and move onto the next round.

Tied at 2-2 in the first set, Eala was leading, 15-0, in the fifth game when a sudden downpour delayed the match.

The No. 58 Eala took the first set when play resumed.

Kawa opened the second set with a 3-1 lead and stretched it for a 5-2 advantage.

The Filipina ace was able to take the eighth game before the rain delayed the match once again, giving Kawa time to rest and take the ninth game and force an all-important third set.

Eala raced to a 3-1 lead in the third set but Kawa stormed back for a 4-3 lead.

Still, the 20-year-old netter showed poise, winning four of the next five games to end the match.

It was sweet revenge for Eala after losing to Kawa in three sets in the ITF Templeton Open in California back in 2022.

Up next for Eala will be former world No. 59 Greet Minnen of Belgium in the Last 16 at the same venue.