‘Me vs. Me’: Alex Eala on staying focused amid a cheering crowd

There may be thousands in the stands and just one opponent across the court, but for Alexandra "Alex" Eala, the toughest battle is against herself.

Eala has already secured two wins at the Philippine Women’s Open at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, playing in front of a capacity crowd.

While she faced challenging moments, particularly in the opening set of her match against Himeno Sakatsume on Wednesday, the Filipina ace said the hometown support gave her a boost.

Even so, her attention remains on her own game.

“I think it definitely helped,” Eala said of the crowd. “People were excited, but when I’m in those moments, I’m really just alone on the court.

“It’s me versus me,” she added. “And I’m happy that I was able to step up to the occasion.”

Eala eventually defeated Sakatsume, 6-4, 6-0.

The Filipina tennis ace also said she is not feeling any added pressure, even as local interest in the WTA 125 event continues to grow.

“No, I think I feel great. I’m in a good space right now,” she said.

“It feels good to have those two wins here at home, especially with this being the first edition of the WTA here. But the expectations are still the same, my goals are still the same [which is] to do my best in the next match.”

Eala will look to do just that when she faces Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

—GMA Integrated News