Alex Eala opened her SEA Games 2025 campaign with a straight-sets win that sent her into the women’s singles semifinals, giving the Philippines at least another bronze medal.
Alex Eala wasted no time asserting herself in SEA Games 2025, already assured of at least a bronze medal in women’s tennis singles.
This after the Filipina tennis ace dispatched Malaysia’s Shihomi Leong, 6-3, 6-1, in their quarterfinal matchup on Monday, December 15, at the Tennis Development Center in Nonthaburi, Thailand. Eala earned as first-round bye as the no. 1 seed.
The win marks another steady showing for Eala, who is aiming to better her bronze-medal finish at the Vietnam SEA Games in 2022.
Eala took control in the latter half of the first set, using her consistency from the baseline and timely aggression to keep Leong on the defensive.
She carried that momentum into the second set, where she raced ahead and closed out the contest in straight sets.
The day, however, is far from over for Eala as she is set to return to the court for the mixed doubles semifinals, teaming up with veteran Filipino campaigner Niño Alcantara.
The Eala–Alcantara tandem also received a Round of 16 bye and will face the winner of the match between Indonesia’s Ignatius Susanto and Meydiana Reinnamah and Singapore’s Daniel Abadia and Wei Choo.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.