Alex Eala’s bid for an Asian Games gold medal ended Thursday after China’s Wang Xiyu rallied to beat her 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the women’s singles semifinals at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya.
Eala, the tournament’s top seed and world No. 18, raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set. But Wang, ranked No. 85, stayed composed and gradually took control.
Wang threatened to extend the first set but Eala held on. The Chinese player then built a 5-1 lead in the second set. Eala fought back to win two straight games, but Wang closed out the set to force a decider.
Eala took the opening game of the third set, but Wang responded with a 4-1 advantage. Eala briefly stopped the run, but Wang regained control and sealed the victory after erasing Eala’s 40-15 lead in the seventh game.
“[A] lot of tough moments for me. I think in the end, she played better,” Eala told reporters.
The loss earned Eala a bronze medal, matching her finish at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. It also ended her bid for a direct ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“It meant a lot to me to be here and to compete, and at the end of the day I gave my all, I prepped the best I could prep, I fought the best I could fight,” Eala said. “I’m happy that I was able to have this experience.”
Eala received a first-round bye before beating Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej and Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland to reach the semifinals.
The Philippines’ wait for an Asian Games tennis singles gold medal continues. Johnny Jose was the last Filipino to win one, in 1962.
Wang will face fellow Chinese player Zhang Shuai, who defeated Yulia Putintseva in the other semifinal, for the gold medal.
Eala will next compete in the Wuhan Open, which starts Oct. 12. POC MEDIA POOL/FROM THE WIRES