Alex Eala outlasts Japanese foe, barges to Asian Games 2023 semis

Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala overcame a slow start to outlast Kyoka Okamura of Japan, 0-6, 7-5, 6-0, and advance to the semifinals of the women's singles in the 19th Asian Games on Wednesday.

It took Eala two long hours and 27 minutes to dispatch the Japanese bet as she set up a semis duel against either Qinwen Zheng of host China or Sohyun Park of South Korea.

After going flat in the opening set, Eala found her rhythm back in the second frame, forcing Okamura three double faults en route to a 7-5 equalizer.

Tied at 4-4, the 18-year-old Eala won two of the next three games to take a 6-5 lead in the penultimate set before imposing her will in the last game to force a winner-take-all Set 3.

Eala blanked Okamura in the first three games in the last set, going unscathed to a 3-0 cushion. Although the Japanese bet put up a fight in the next three games, Eala held on and cruised to the victory.

Prior to the quarterfinals, Eala was almost unstoppable as she earned a bye in the opening round before reigning supreme against Sarah Ibrahim Khan of Pakistan and Rutuja Bhosale in the second and third rounds.

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News