Francis Casey Alcantara and Shaira Rivera held steady in the super tiebreak to escape with a 6-4, 1-6, 10-8 victory over Iran’s Kasra Rahmani and Meshkatolzahra Safi in a gripping opening-round mixed doubles match at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday.
The former world No. 162 in men’s doubles, Alcantara, and University of West Alabama standout Rivera booked their place in the second round. They will, however, be tagged as underdogs as they next face the fifth-seeded Japanese pair of Yusuke Kusuhara, world No. 291 in men’s doubles, and Shuko Aoyama, world No. 22 in women’s doubles.
Tennielle Madis, meanwhile, was shown the exit in the women’s singles event after falling in straight sets to seventh seed and world No. 119 Himeno Sakatsume of Japan, 6-1, 6-0.
That leaves Alex Eala as the country’s only remaining bet in singles. Seeded No. 1 in the women’s singles competition, world No. 18 Eala will begin her Asian Games campaign on Monday at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center against Patcharin Cheapchandej.
The 21-year-old Eala, who received a first-round bye by virtue of being the top seed, is looking to go all the way this time after winning two bronze medals — women’s singles and mixed doubles — in the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Madis will also be back on the court on Monday in the women’s doubles event, where she will team up with 18-year-old Stefi Aludo.
The Madis-Aludo tandem was a surprise package for the Philippines at the Bangkok Southeast Asian Games last December, when they came out of nowhere to capture the women’s doubles bronze medal.
Both incoming freshmen at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the duo will hope to bank on their proven chemistry when they battle Indonesia’s 18-year-old Anjali Junarto and 21-year-old Meydiana Reinnamah.
