Eala outduels Taiwanese foe to secure Asian Games podium finish

Alessandra Gwen Santos 

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala channeled every might to fend off a gritty opening set challenge against Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland in a hard-fought 7–5, 6–0 victory and sealed an assured podium finish in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 30. 

The lefty Filipina hit a short daze in the opener following an early scare, but escaped later on to settle the one-hour and 49-minute showdown and seal her semifinals ticket. 

“She has a lot of power, great serve and obviously is a fighter. You could see that in the energy she brought on the court today,” Eala said. 

With the first set locked at 5-all, Eala pulled away with a three-game burst to claim the opener, nabbing a crucial break to close it out.

Grooving from her red-hot run, the 21-year-old netter raced to a 3–0 lead before taking the next three games to complete the straight-set victory and earn at least a bronze medal for the country. 

Eala will aim to extend her run in the regional meet when she faces China’s Wang Xiyu in the semifinals on Oct. 1.