By MARK REY MONTEJO
Here’s another piece of good news for Philippine tennis.
Crystal Saphire Embol, a Filipino-American, is making waves in the other part of the United States – miles and miles away from Ohio where Alex Eala is basking in the glory of her immense popularity.
Eala, who is coming off a historic first WTA title in Washington D.C., is set to compete at the Cincinnati Open starting tomorrow, Aug. 15, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, where her so-called ‘Barangay’ is waiting to see her play in the flesh.
Embol, who moved from the Philippines to the US with her Filipina in 2015, was hailed by her school – George Washington High School in Charleston, West Virginia – after winning two gold medals in the recently concluded State Games of America in State College, Pennsylvania.
Embol, a 16-year-old whose one of her idols is Eala, turned heads in the biennial meet after ruling the women’s open singles and doubles events where she bested rivals from the states of Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
“Hindi ko po inaasahan na makakamit ko ‘to. Pinagtrabahuhan ko lang araw-araw and ‘di ko po sinukuan,” said Embol, who also served as flag bearer for Team West Virginia.
“Para po ‘to sa aking pamilya, mga coaches, and siyempre para sa Pilipinas,” she added.
Prior to her two-gold haul in the competition, Embol, who traces her roots in Misamis Occidental, already reigned in West Virginia’s Women’s Open in the past two years.
She also became the first-ever Filipina from her province to ever won top honors in the tournament that catered to top amateur athletes across the States.
“Crystal’s outstanding performance has brought national recognition to West Virginia and serves as an inspiration to young athletes across the Mountain State,” the State Games of West Virginia wrote on its social media post.
“Her success reflects the power of hard work, perseverance, and the support of family, coaches, sponsors, and the community. She returns home not only as a two-time national champion, but also as a proud ambassador for West Virginia tennis,” it added.
Currently unranked, Embol hopes to reach the WTA level in the future as well as to represent the Phillipines on the international stage.
Embol is no stranger to spotlight.
As an 8-year-old, she won the Little Miss Earth USA in 2019 – four years after moving to the US.
