YOUNG Filipina women’s tennis sensation Alex Eala made sure her maiden appearance at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China will continue to be a smashing one.
Smashing indeed as the world’s no. 191-ranked player based on the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, who drew a bye in the first round of the competition, subdued her opponent in the third round by outlasting India’s Rutuja Bhosale in the first set to enter the competition’s Final Eight.
She then wrapped up the win in dominating fashion in the second set for a 7-6 (5), 6-2 third-round victory at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center.
Eala earlier disposed of her second-round opponent from Pakistan, Sarah Ibrahim Khan, with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout win yesterday that took her only 39 minutes to wrap up.
With this latest win, the tournament’s fourth seed and 2022 US Open Juniors single champ will march on to the quarterfinal round, where she will face either no. 11 seed Lanlana Tararudee of Thailand or eight-seeded Kyoka Okamura of Japan.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Eala Facebook page)