Filipina tennis sensation Alexandra Eala in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan. Photo courtesy of Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)-Media Pool.
(UPDATED) Alex Eala was victorious in her 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games debut after making quick work of Thailand's Patcharin Cheapchandej, 6-1, 6-0, on Monday at Indoor Court C of the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Japan.
Eala had to deal with multiple schedule delays and a venue change brought about by weather conditions in Japan, but still managed to book her spot in the quarterfinals and make the most out of her first-round bye.
"At the end of the day, the measurements of the court are the same, the external factors are out of my control, and it's not the first time that I played in conditions like this," said Eala, who was originally set to play on Centre Court.
These factors indeed had little impact on Eala, who went on to win four straight games in the first set before Cheapchandej made it a 4-1 match.
Still, the 21-year-old was quick to recover from the fifth-game setback, with Eala then claiming the next eight games through the second set to complete the victory in 55 minutes.
The Filipina tennis ace will now hope to replicate the same resilience when she faces Joanna Garland of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals at a yet-to-be-announced date, but Eala is confident that she can overcome any circumstances that may come.
"It's a lot of patience, a lot of being ready. I just need to be open minded and be flexible," she said.
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