A MEDAL upgrade is guaranteed for Alex Eala.
The WTA campaigner stormed into the women’s singles final of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Tuesday in Nonthaburi after dispatching Thailand’s Thasaporn Naklo, 6-1, 6-4, to book a place in the gold-medal match.
READ Alex Eala cruises past Malaysian to reach SEA Games semifinals
Still in Eala’s way to the gold is another home bet in Mananchaya Sawangkaew, the world no. 240, who advanced via walkover after Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, the WTA No. 53, retired midway through their semifinal due to breathing problems.
Win or lose, however, Eala, who is coming off a breakthrough campaign in the WTA highlighted by a semifinal appearance at the Miami Open, is sure to improve on her bronze-medal finish from the 2022 SEA Games.
The tournament’s highest-ranked player at world No. 52, Eala wasted little time asserting control, surrendering just one game in the opening set against the world No. 509.
Even after briefly trailing in the second, Eala regrouped, flipped the momentum, and was quicker to close the door on Naklo.
But rest will have to wait for Eala as she is set to return to court in the mixed doubles semifinals alongside partner Nino Alcantara. The date and time of the match have yet to be announced.
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