By MARK REY MONTEJO
Alex Eala’s dream debut on home soil is off to a winning start— and she’s not ready to stop just yet. Her fans want more.
With another big crowd expected to rally behind her, the country’s top tennis player eyes a quarterfinal berth at the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
The 20-year-old second seed advanced to the Round of 16 after a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Russia’s Alina Charaeva, marking her first-ever professional victory in the country.
Eala will face either Japan’s Nao Hibino or Himeno Sakatsume, who are playing on Tuesday.
Before turning her focus to the next round, Eala took time to soak in what she deemed as a “full circle” moment not only for her but for Philippine tennis as well.
“I think it’s such a full circle moment to see how far tennis has come in the Philippines. I think playing matches and seeing my two worlds collide, kumbaga, being in Manila and the WTA Tour,” said Eala.
“Seeing it come to life is so full circle and so emotional for me because it’s allowed me to reflect on how far I’ve come,” she added.
Eala, though, allayed fears of any serious injury after she had to call for a medical timeout in his first match due to a discomfort on his right leg.
“Yeah, there was a bit of discomfort. Nothing serious. I have a day now to see how it goes. I’ll just let it relax and wake up tomorrow and see how I feel,” Eala said.
“I’m going to train and recover and be ready for the next round,” she assured.
Her win provided a bright spot for Filipino fans after several local entries bowed out earlier in the day, including 18-year-old Tenny Madis, who fell to Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 4-6, 0-6.
Despite the early exits, Eala praised her fellow Filipinas for holding their own in their first taste of WTA-level competition.
“I’m super proud. Just being in the draw and competing at this level is huge,” said Eala. “The experience you gain from tournaments like this is something money can’t buy.”
