.jpg)
Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala has arrived in Nagoya, Japan. POC Media
NAGOYA – Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala has arrived in Nagoya, Japan on Saturday ahead of the women's singles tennis event at the 20th Asian Games.
Eala was welcomed by the Philippine delegation, led by Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino at the airport on Saturday evening.
"Proud and excited," Eala said when asked about representing the Philippines at the Asian Games.
The WTA No. 18 ranked Eala gets a first round bye as the top seed of the women's singles tennis event.
She will face the winner of the match between Thailand's Patcharin Cheapchandej and Pakistan's Qureshi Mahin Aftab.
She was coming from a second-round exit at the Singapore Open.
READ: Tennis: Eala falls to Prozorova, bows out of Singapore Open
Aside from singles, the 21-year-old tennis star will also compete in women's doubles alongside University of Alabama standout Shaira Rivera.
They will face Kallista Liu and Ching Laam Lai of Hong Kong in the first round.
Before Eala's arrival, her coach Sandro Viaene arrived in Japan and was seen with Philippine team coach Denise Dy as they held practice indoors due to inclement weather.
Tenny Madis will open the campaign of Team Philippines in the women's singles event on September 27 in the first match on center court at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
Madis will face seventh seed Himeno Sakatsume who is No. 119 in the WTA rankings.
She will also compete in women's doubles with Stefi Aludo, as they face Anjali Kirana Junarto and Meydiana Laviola Reinnamah of Indonesia.
Rivera will also team up with veteran Francis Casey "Niño" Alcantara will battle in mixed doubles on Court 4 on Saturday afternoon.
They will face Iran's Kasra Rahmani and Meshatolzahra Safi to open their campaign.