Alex Eala ousts Thai bet, marches to SEA Games tennis finals

Just one victory stands between Alex Eala and her first-ever SEA Games gold medal after she stunned home bet Thasaporn Naklo, 6-1, 6-4 in the women's singles semifinals on Tuesday in Thailand.

The 20-year-old Eala dominated the opening set but had to withstand a scare in the second frame from the 24-year-old Naklo before advancing to the finals for the first time in her SEA Games career.

Eala will face another Thai ace, Mananchaya Sawangkaew, in the gold medal match after Sawangkaew cruised past Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, who retired in their semifinals clash due to breathing difficulties.

Eala and Sawangkaew will duke it out in the finals on Thursday. 

In facing Sawangkaew, the world No. 53 Eala will hope to replicate—or even surpass—the dominant form she displayed today against Naklo.

Eala dazzled from the start, winning the first three games of the opening set before Naklo claimed the fourth to get on the board. The Filipina star took the next three games, including the seventh, where she built a 40-15 lead off a Naklo error, before closing out the opening set in commanding fashion.

Naklo, with the help of a roaring cheer from the home crowd, came out firing in the second set, taking the first two games—including a dominant 40-0 win in the second—to put pressure on Eala. The Filipina star, however, capitalized on Naklo’s errors to win the next three games and take a 3-2 lead.

Naklo leveled the set at 3-3, but Eala broke the deadlock with a series of well-timed shots that forced mistakes from her Thai opponent. She then claimed the match point with a strong hold, though Naklo won the following game to extend the battle.

Eala closed out the match in style, unleashing a powerful swing to build a 40-15 lead in the final game before Naklo’s attack error handed the Filipina the victory, sending her into the SEA Games final.

Eala is in search of her first gold medal at the SEA Games after settling for three bronze medals in her debut in 2022 in Vietnam. 

—JMB, GMA Integrated News