HANGZHOU, China – Alex Eala pulled off one of the biggest comeback wins in tennis history in the Asian Games with a EA0-6, 7-5, 6-0 win over Japanese Kyoka Okamura Wednesday, Sept. 27 that assured Team PH another bronze medal at the Olympic Tennis Centre here.

Eala, seeded No. 4, looked like a beginner in the first set as she committed numerous turnovers – some were basic mistakes – not to mention Okamora’s solid game from the baseline.

She even lost her first serve in the second, giving Okamura a 2-0 lead.

Good thing, Eala found her second win and rallied furiously to win the second set which proved enough to take the fight out of her Japanese rival.

The third set was a different story as it was Eala who dictated the tempo on the way to posting another win that could go down as one of the highlights of a flourishing career.

The victory arranged the 18-year-old Filipina sensation a semis date with top seed Zheng Qinwen of China, who survived a close opening set to beat Park Sohyn of South Korea, 7-6 (4), 6-0.

Qinwen is the very same person who made it to the quarters of the US Open in New York after beating last year’s runner up Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.

While Eala is ranked No. 192, the Chinese top seed is rated No. 23 in the latest ITF rankings.

The last time a country won a medal in the continental showpiece was 17 years ago – courtesy of Cecil Mamiit and Eric Taino who won two bronze medals in the Doha edition.

Her job is not yet done for the day as she and Francis Casey Alcantara are scheduled to battle top seed Yuki Bhambri and Ankita Ravinderkrishan Raina of India in the third round of the mixed doubles event later in the afternoon.
(ai/mnm)

Alex Eala of the Philippines returns the ball to her opponent from India Bhosale Rutuja during their tennis match in the 19th Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China.

HANGZHOU, China – Tennis star Alex Eala survived a marathon first set to beat veteran Rutuja Bhosale of India, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, and advanced to the quarters of the women’s singles event in the 19th Asian Games at Olympic Sports Stadium here.

Eala, 18, needed 72 minutes and a tiebreaker to outlast her 27-year-old rival in a tightly-contested first set that thrilled a small but highly-energized crowd.

But it was a breeze in the second set for Eala to earn a quarterfinals meeting with Japanese Kyoka Okamura, a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 winner over Savanna Ly-Nguyen.

On paper, Eala holds a slight edge over her Japanese rival owing to her better ranking at No. 192 while Okamura is ranked 223rd. Apart from that, Eala also boasts of four ITF titles against only Round-of-8 rival.

Eala struggled with her serves early, committing 5 doubles against only three aces.

In the second set, she double-faulted only twice as she started to dominate the match, coming through whistling shots behind her double-fisted shots.

Eala advanced to the round-of-16 in style, blanking Sarah Ibrahim Khan of Pakistan, 6-0, 6-0.

Eala is also scheduled to play in mixed doubles with Ruben Gonzales later in the day. (ai/mnm)

HANGZHOU, China—Alex Eala completely dominated Sarah Ibrahim Khan in her Asiad debut on Monday, whipping her Pakistani foe, 6-0, 6-0, in the 19th Asian Games at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre.

It took only 39 minutes for Eala to bring down the 32-year-old Khan, who is nearly half her age, and progress to the next round either against Kazakhstan’s Aruzhan Sagandykova or India’s Rutuja Bhosale.

“It was a great game and it was good for my confidence,’’ said Eala, who currently ranked No. 191 in the world.

Seeded fourth in the tournament, Eala limited Khan to only six points against her for the duration of their duel.

The 18-year-old Filipino tennis prodigy also asserted her might with five aces. “I think I came in with a great attitude and a great mindset,’’ said Eala.

She will likewise see action in the mixed doubles with Ruben Gonzales, both of them armed with impressive credentials.

Another member of the team is Francis Alcantara, who is aiming for a podium finish that will end the nation’s medal drought in the Games.

Filipino-American Cecil Mamiit was the last netter to spearhead the Philippines to a pair of bronzes in the 2006 Doha edition. (ai/mnm)