Alex Eala Opens Asian Games Gold Bid Against Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej
Alex Eala begins her Asian Games gold campaign Monday at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The top seed and world No. 18 opens against Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej in Round 2, after a first round bye. Game time and court assignment are still to be set. Heavy rain in Japan on Sunday forced organizers to postpone or move other matches indoors.
A Draw Missing Its Biggest Names
Eala is the highest-ranked player left in the field. Reigning Asian Games and Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, and home favorite Naomi Osaka are all absent from this tournament. That leaves the mission on Eala alone. Fellow Filipina Tennielle Madis was already eliminated, losing 6-1, 6-0 to Japan’s No. 7 seed Himeno Sakatsume in the opening round, and now turns her attention to doubles, teaming with Stefi Marithe Aludo against Indonesia’s Anjali Kirana Junarto and Meydiana Laviola Reinnamah.
A Rematch She Has Already Won
Eala already has the answer to this matchup. She beat Cheapchandej 6-3, 6-4 in the Round of 16 en route to the title at the 2022 ITF W25 Chiang Rai event in Thailand. Cheapchandej, ranked No. 510, reached this round by beating Pakistan’s Mahin Aftab Qureshi 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes on Sunday.
Coming Off a Rough Week
Eala arrives after a second round exit at the WTA 500 Singapore Open, where she lost as the No. 3 seed to world No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6. She kept working through it, putting in an intense practice session with teammates Madis and Stefi Aludo just hours after landing in Nagoya from Singapore.
What Is on the Line
Eala already owns two bronze medals from the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, one in singles and one in mixed doubles. Gold in Nagoya would be new ground, and it would add to a Philippine gold tally that currently stands at two, both from gymnast Carlos Yulo. There is also a longer game at play. A strong run in Nagoya factors into her push for a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
A Doubles Push, Too
Eala is also entered in women’s doubles, partnering with Shaira Hope Rivera. The unseeded pair opens against Hong Kong’s Lai Ching Laam and Kallista Liu. The winner faces China’s No. 3 seeds, Xinyu Jiang and Zhaoxuan Yang.
