ENDING a 26-year gold drought for Philippine women’s singles tennis in the Southeast Asian Games, Alex Eala proved why she stands as the region’s top-ranked player on Thursday.
The 20-year-old WTA no. 52 imposed her will early, taking the opening set 6-1, 6-2, against home bet Mananchaya Sawangkaew with steady serving, improved footwork, and well-timed drop shots that repeatedly caught her opponent off-guard.
Eala carried that control into the second set. From a 1-1 deadlock, she pushed ahead to 3-2 despite at least three questionable line calls, refusing to let the interruptions shift the momentum.
The lineswoman was replaced after the third game.
Bemedalled Alex
The gold capped a strong SEA Games run for the Filipino who already secured bronze in the mixed doubles event with Francis Alcantara on Wednesday.
The victory also surpassed Eala’s 2022 medal of a singles bronze, as she dethroned reigning champion Priska Nugroho of Indonesia — her former junior doubles partner during their Juniors Grand Slam campaign.
Eala reached the final after beating Thailand’s Thasaporn Naklo in the semifinals and Malaysia’s Shihomi Leong in the quarterfinals, following a first-round bye.
While the last gold for the Philippine women's tennis is 1999 by Maricris Fernandez, Cecil Mamiit last won it all in the men’s division in 2009.
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