Alex Eala downed hometown bet Luksika Kumkhum 6-4, 6-2, to capture the 2022 ITF Women’s World Tour W25 Asia-Oceania tournament title in Chiang Rai Sports Centre, Chiang Rai Thailand.
This is the first title Eala won this year after suffering early exits in the previous tournaments in the tour calendar.
The Filipino standout earned $3,935 (P202,947.62) for the victory, leaving the 2017 Southeast Asian Games women’s singles champion with $2,107 (P 108,668.53).
Eala zoomed to a 4-1 lead in the second after consolidating an early break of serve, before serving to love for a 5-2 advantage.
The 16-year-old then pounced on the Thai opponent in the final game, forcing the latter to commit errors for a 15-30 lead.
Eala then closed the one-hour-and-22-minute with two well-placed returns that Kumkhum failed to answer.
The two-time Grand Slam girls’ doubles champion earlier pocketed the set advantage after taking the frame’s last game off a break of the Kumkhum serve.
Eala was earlier named as part of the Team Philippines that will compete in the 31st Southeast Asian Games next month in Vietnam.
