Alex Eala cops bronze in the 19th Asian Games—PH tennis' first Asiad win after 17 years
Filipina tennis star Alex Eala just secured a bronze medal in the 2023 Asian Games—ending the country’s nearly two-decade drought since 2006.
Alex Eala, who is currently in the 190th rank in global tennis aces, competed with WTA’s rank 23 Zheng Qinwen of China during the Women’s Single Games, with scores of 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6.
The 18-year-old saved three match points in the second set, but ended up clinching bronze after Qinwen reigned supreme until the last set, earning a ticket to the finals.
This marks not just Eala’s debut in Asiad but also the country's first win after 17 years since Cecil Mamiit and Eric Taino's victories in 2006 in Doha, Qatar. She is set to team up with Francis Alcantara to compete in mixed doubles in the quarterfinals against Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum and Maximus Jones.