Eala assured of SEAG bronze

NONTHABURI, Thailand — Alex Eala assured herself of at least another medal at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, beating Malaysia’s Shihomi Leong in their women’s individual event quarterfinal match, 6-3, 6-1, at the National Tennis Development Center here on Monday.

The 20-year-old Eala had her first taste of action after missing out on team event. She wasted no time as she dominated the Malaysian in the second set, 6-1, after getting pushed to the limit in the opening set.

After her win, she basked in the adulation of fans who flocked to the stands to catch a glimpse of the WTA No. 52 in action in the biennial meet.

Eala said seeing the huge Filipino crowd boosted her morale.

“I’m very happy to win the first round. It presented a good challenge,” said Eala, who will gear up for the Australian Open in Melbourne shortly after the holiday break.

“I’m happy seeing the crowd. I’m thankful that a lot of fans watched the match and supported me.”

With the win, Eala forged a semifinal duel with home bet Thasaporn Naklo in the semifinals for a victory that will surpass her bronze-medal finish in the 31st edition of the Games in Hanoi in 2022.

Shortly after the individual event, Eala joined Francis Casey Alcantara in beating the Singaporean pair of Daniel Abadia and Wei Choo, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals of the mixed doubles event.