Alex Eala is now just one win away from ending the Philippines’ 26-year gold medal drought in women’s singles tennis.
The 20-year-old Filipina showcased her dominance in the semifinals of the women’s singles event at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, cruising past Thailand’s Thasaporn Naklo, 6-1, 6-4, at the National Tennis Development Centre in Nonthaburi.
Naklo, a former Iowa State Cyclones player in the US NCAA, had caused an upset in the opening round by defeating Eala’s junior doubles partner Priska Nugroho of Indonesia.
However, she struggled to keep pace with Eala, who raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set. After Naklo got on the board in the fourth game, Eala swept the next three games to claim the set.
(C) POC Media
The second set proved more competitive, with the score tied at 3-3 following an exchange of service breaks.
Eala then converted another break and held serve in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. She ultimately closed out the match in the tenth game.
The world No. 52 Eala will now vie for the gold against another Thai, former world No. 100 Mananchaya Sawangkaew, who advanced after second seed Janice Tjen retired following the first set of her semifinal match.
The last Filipina to win the SEA Games women’s singles gold was the legendary Maricris Fernandez-Gentz in 1999.
The most recent Filipina to reach the finals was Clarice Patrimonio, who fell to Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum in 2017.
