NAGOYA, Japan — Top-seeded Alex Eala opened her singles run at the 20th Asian Games on Monday with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 victory against Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
After receiving a opening-round bye, the Filipina star made quick work of her opponent once play got underway. The match was initially delayed by inclement weather before officials shifted the contest to an indoor court.
The dominant straight-sets performance earned Eala a spot in the women’s singles quarterfinals, where she will face Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland. Garland earned her quarterfinal ticket by routing Iran’s Mandegar Farzami, 6-1, 6-1.
Eala enters the tournament as the highest-ranked competitor in the field at No. 18, positioning her as a primary favorite for the gold medal. However, she faces a competitive draw featuring several formidable opponents, including China’s Zhang Shuai, who also swept into the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Iran’s Meshkatolzahra Safi.
Earlier in the day, the Philippines picked up another victory in women’s doubles action as Stefi Aludo and Tennielle Madis defeated Indonesia’s Anjali Junarto and Meydiana Reinnamah, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Eala is slated to double her workload later in the tournament as she partners with Shaira Rivera in the women’s doubles draw.