Alex Eala found her game again at Ningbo. The Filipino player showed signs of resurgence that she'll look to carry into the Toray Pan Pacific Open, where consistency becomes the real test.
After struggling for stretches, Eala posted solid results in Ningbo that suggest she's turned a corner. But one strong tournament doesn't mean the problems are solved. She knows it. Everyone watching knows it. The question now is whether she can string together performances instead of reverting to the form that frustrated her earlier this season.
The Pan Pacific Open gives Eala an immediate chance to prove the Ningbo run wasn't a blip. She faces a field full of top competition, which means no room for the lapses that derailed her before. If Eala plays the same tennis she showed in China, she has chances. If old habits creep back in, she'll fall behind quickly.
For a player of Eala's caliber, momentum matters. She has it right now. The next few matches will tell us if she can keep it.