Alex Eala put to rest any fears regarding her health after she needed a medical timeout in her first round match at the Philippine Women’s Open.
Alex Eala shrugged off concern regarding her fitness after she needed to take a medical timeout in the second set of her match against Russia’s Alina Charaeva in the Philippine Women’s Open at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on Monday.
Eala was trailing 1-2 in the second set when she briefly left the court to attend to an injury on her right leg.
Upon returning, Eala didn’t look a step slow and was able to string together a roaring six-game streak to complete a two-set sweep, 6-1, 6-2, of her foe and march on to the second round.
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After the match, Eala said that she had noticed something was a little bit off on her right thigh, and wanted to attend to it immediately. But she did downplay the injury.
“There was a bit of discomfort and nothing serious. I have a day now to see how it goes,” she told media late Monday night.
“I’ll just let it relax and wake up tomorrow and see how I feel.”
Eala has a rest day on Tuesday before going up to play in the Round of 16 on Wednesday against a yet-to-be-determined foe.
Regarding her mindset even with some pain, the 20-year-old said that it has always been part of the game, and she is able to perform regardless of how she feels — at least to a certain extent.
“I think pain, physical pain is definitely a part of an athlete's lifestyle. It's a part of the job,” she said.
“So we have to find ways to best manage that and not let it affect us mentally,” she added.
Eala awaits the winner of the Round of 32 match between compatriots Nao Hibino and Himeno Sakatsume in the next round.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.