ALEX Eala’s bid for an Asian Games singles gold medal ended in the semifinals Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, as the top-seeded Filipina fell to China’s Wang Xiyu, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, in Nagoya, Japan.
Eala took the opening set at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center but could not sustain her early advantage as Wang, ranked No. 85 in the world, fought back to win the next two sets and advance to the gold-medal match.
The 21-year-old Eala came out aggressively and built a 5-0 lead in the opening set before Wang mounted a late challenge. The Filipina closed out the set, 6-3, but the Chinese veteran responded by taking control in the second set.
Wang broke away from a 1-all score to win four straight games and force a deciding set. She then took charge in the third set to complete the comeback and end Eala’s run.
“I think she (Wang) played really well today,” Eala said after the match, according to a Philippine Olympic Committee report. “I think she was more consistent. I think I had a couple of ups and downs during the match. It’s something I have to talk with my team about and process.”
Eala entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and had reached the semifinals without dropping a set. She opened her campaign with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej before defeating Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland, 7-5, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.
The semifinal appearance guaranteed Eala at least a bronze medal, giving her a second consecutive Asian Games singles bronze after her finish at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
She also won a mixed doubles bronze with Francis Casey Alcantara in Hangzhou, bringing her Asian Games medal haul to three.
Wang will face compatriot Zhang Shuai in the women’s singles final after Zhang defeated Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, 6-4, 6-2, in the other semifinal.
Eala had entered the Aichi-Nagoya Games hoping to improve on her previous Asian Games finish after choosing to represent the Philippines instead of playing in the WTA 1000 China Open. / LBG
