LOSING has got to hurt, especially when you're so close to your goal, but Alex Eala still manages to turn disappointment into a lesson in sports and, well, life in general.
Nalungkot, nanghinayang, yung iba nawalan pa siguro ng ganang maghapunan after the final of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. Nanood lang ng tennis yan ha. Imagine if you're Alex, who has invested so much time and energy to be in this exact position, a chance to win a title - WTA Tour title lang naman. Only for an injury to hold you back in the most inopportune moment. Saklap, di ba?
Pero iba siya e.
Here are a few observations about Alex's loss to Claire Liu.
1. Reset. So this is how Alex's brain works. How many times during a match does she have to reset - and quickly - after a mistake, a failure to convert a break opportunity, a blown matchpoint, a shaky service game, an overcooked forehand? Kalma lang, hinga nang malalim, bawi sa susunod na game. Only this time she had to go through the process in the immediate aftermath of a match, a final no less - or during all that time she's dragging that heavily strapped right leg, defeat looking inevitable in her current physical condition. Move on, it's not the end of the world. No use feeling down, no room for self-pity. Reset. Quick.
READ Breakthrough WTA Tour season just the start, says Alex Eala
2. No excuses. During a classy, honest post-match speech, not once did Alex mention her physical limitation, the one that hampered her movement on the court, turned her service game more vulnerable. Kulang ng lakas para diinan pa. 'Deserved,' that's what she told Liu about her victory. Liu, who Alex has not beaten in two matches now. Liu, who has not dropped a set in the entire tournament.
3. As far as we know, Alex hasn't retired from a match since turning pro, maybe ever. She wasn't going to start now. Being uncomfortable on court is different from being unable to play. Being unable to compete at your best, at the standards this level requires, against an opponent who asks questions of you even at the best of times when you have your A-game, that must be terribly frustrating. But that didn't prevent Alex from trying to run after the ball, fighting and scraping to the last point of the match, heck, the last point of her season - a season that, by any measure, is extraordinary. And, maybe, she also wanted to push on for the fans who paid good money to watch her play.
4. Crying is OK, losing is OK. The dam did not burst like the Niagara in full flow the last time she lost a final, to Maya Joint at last year's Eastbourne Open in the UK. But after hustling her way, determinedly, at times wincing but mostly keeping her emotions buried beneath a steely exterior, Alex finally allowed her feelings to show during the trophy presentation. Yes, she cried. But the emotions she spoke of were all positive: gratitude for a life-changing season and all those who made it possible.
5. The injury, thankfully nothing serious, only adds fuel to the narrative being pushed by some quarters that Alex needed to take a break from her hectic schedule. Some had even questioned her priorities. Some of the concern may be well-meaning. But overlooked is the central part of the conversation: Alex herself and that, at 21, she can be trusted to make decisions for herself. Even if she wasn't playing in a tournament, she'd be working on her game, training, putting in the hours. But a tournament match is the best on-the-job training for a professional like her. Did she play one too many tournaments? This was her last tournament of the season. She saw a good opportunity to win a second WTA Tour title, serve up a fitting ending to her season. Puwede nang ubusin ang lakas. After that, maraming oras para magpahinga.
6. 'Natalo mo nga si Alex, pero mas magaling s'yang mag-speech sa yo. Tse!' Eto ang winner sa mga nabasa kong posts or comments after the match. Said in jest, of course, by a friend who, like many fans, probably wouldn't be following tennis if not for Alex's spectacular rise. Ending this piece with it to keep things light-hearted. And to give everyone a chance to breath. Hanggang sa susunod na puksaang laban ni Alex.
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