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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Tennis princess takes another bronze in mixed doubles

Tennis princess takes another bronze in mixed doubles

Published Sep 29, 2023 02:07 pm

At A Glance

  • Eala joined the exclusive club of multiple medal winners in a single edition with another bronze medal finish in the mixed doubles to cap an incredible showing.

HANGZHOU, China –  Tennis star Alex Eala isn’t the “sweetheart” of Philippine sports for nothing.

alex eala and alcantara.jpg
Alex Eala and partner Francis Alcantara (PSC-POC Media pool)

She also earned a new moniker as the latest “wonder woman” of Team Philippines that enabled her to join an elite club of multiple winners in the Asian Games.

That’s because she has been doing a wondrous job the past three days in in this year’s edition that many have wondered where she’s getting her inspiration, strength and energy.

Eala joined the exclusive club of multiple medal winners in a single edition with another bronze medal finish in the mixed doubles to cap an incredible showing.

Eala and partner Francis Alcantara lost to Taiwanese Liang En-Shuo and Huang Tsung-hao, 5-7, 3-6, on Friday, Sept. 29, but that was enough to salvage the  bronze medal, making them the first PH team to win a mixed doubles medal since Patricia Yngayo and Federico Deyro captured the silver medal in the 1966 edition.

“If overachievement is a thing then we have the potential to do more,” beamed the 18-year-old Eala, who on Thursday took the bronze in the singles event that ended the country’s 17-year medal drought in tennis.

After Eala’s incredible showing in tennis, focus will shift on superstar EJ Obiena on Saturday, Sept. 30, with the world No. 2 looking to end the country’s agonizing wait for a first ever gold medal in the 19th Asian Games here.

Barring any disaster or calamity of great proportion, this year’s edition could be Obiena’s coronation as Asian pole vault king.

Reasons abound why he is eager to stamp his class this time.

For one, he is eager to erase the ugly memory of the 2018 edition in Jakarta, Indonesia where he finished a disappointing 7th place.

So expect Obiena to soar like an eagle and deliver the gold medal every Filipino is aching to see dangling around his neck.

Team PH is still way, way behind in the medal board – even among South East Asian rivals - at 24th with 1 silver and six bronze medals. The host nation is nearing the century mark with 96 golds while Thailand  is fifth overall with 8 golds at 5 p.m. PH also trails Indonesia (3-3-10), Singapore (2-4-4), Malaysia (2-3-6), and Vietnam (1-2-11).

“One last push for this season,” said Obiena in his official Facebook with a video footage that saw him clear the barrier with relative ease. 

Philippine Olympic Committee chief Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino is supremely confident that the long wait will be over Saturday, saying: “With good vibes, it’s sure  for gold. His competitions this year have prepared him well.”

Apart from Obiena, also in the spotlight are Gilas and Filipinas with the former going up against dangerous Jordan at 5:30 p.m. 

Jordan is bannered by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the very same import that helped power TNT to the PBA championship this year. 

Filipinas will have a tougher assignment as they collide with Asian champion Japan at 7: 30 p.m.

Meantime, Team PH’s bid to beat or even duplicate its four-gold haul in the Jakarta Games suffered a big blow when Tokyo Games silver medal winner Nesthy Petecio suffered a 4-1 defeat to long-time rival  Taiwanese Lin Yu Ting.

The defeat was doubly painful for Petecio as it denied her an outright berth to the Paris Olympics.

While the host nation is all poised for another runaway championship, losses continued to pile up for Team PH as triathletes Fernando Casares and Andrew Kim Remolino finished 10th and 13th, respectively.

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