The hopes of Alex Eala for another title run this season came to a halt in Suzhou, where she was edged out in a taut, seesaw battle by Swiss veteran Viktorija Golubic, 6-2, 2-6, 6-7.
It was the kind of match where margins were razor-thin, nerves were tested, and every point felt like a duel.
Eala, just 20 and seeded fourth in the WTA 125 event, found herself trailing early, 1-2, in the opening set. But then came the shift—sudden, electric. She reeled off five straight games, flipping the set on its head and planting herself firmly in control.
Momentum, however, is a slippery thing in tennis.
In the second set, it was Golubic—the sixth seed, a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist, and once ranked as high as No. 35 in the world — who took command. The 32-year-old Swiss found her range and stormed ahead, winning four games before Eala could respond. By then, Golubic had settled into her groove, dictating rallies and resetting the tone of the match.
The decider was a dogfight—a third set brimming with drama, tension, and shifting momentum, as each player clawed for the slightest edge. Eala, ranked No. 56, had the finish line in sight. Up 6-5 and 40-15, as she parried Golubic’s serves, the Filipina was just one solid return away from a spot in the semifinals.
But Golubic, steely and unshaken, refused to fold. She rallied, broke back, held her nerve, and dragged the match into a tiebreak.
From there, she turned into an avalanche from the Swiss Alps—relentless, overwhelming, and unstoppable—burying Eala in a 7-0 sweep.
Seven unanswered points. A shutout. Golubic rolled through the breaker 7-0, sealing victory with the kind of ruthless precision that belies her soft-spoken demeanor.
In the final tally, the numbers told a story of balance: Eala won 92 points, Golubic 97. Eala played the cleaner match with just two double faults to Golubic’s six. Neither served an ace, and both converted six break points. But in the clutch moments, it was Golubic who found another gear.
Eala, despite the loss, will still inch upward in the rankings, projected to climb to No. 54 according to WTA Live Rankings—a small reward for a fight that deserved more.
