The Philippine pair of Alex Eala and Niño Alcantara were a few points short of making it into the gold medal round in the SEA Games 2025.
NONTHABURI — Alex Eala and Niño Alcantara faltered late in the deciding third set tiebreak as they stubled against home bets Pawit Sornlaksup and Patcharin Cheapchandej in a thrilling semifinal, 7-5, 5-7, 7-10, here at the National Tennis Development Centre on Wednesday morning.
After clinching the opening set in a nip and tuck affair, 7-5, they were unable to close it out in the second, where they fell behind late following a 5-5 stalemate that extended the set.
Then in the third set, Eala and Alcantara were stuck playing catchup. The Thais started out strong and were ahead, 3-1, in the early goings of the match.
Even as the Philippines were able to claw back and tie the set at 3-all, Sornlaksup and Cheapchandej capitalized on their net play to build another lead, 7-4.
Not one to go down without a fight, Eala and Alcantara steeled themselves to tie the match at 7-all anew, with the court abuzz with supporters from both countries.
However, a crucial double fault from Alcantara gave the Thais just enough breathing room to arrive at match point, 9-7.
Following the loss, which handed them the bronze medal in the event, Eala opened up about how she felt.
“You know, obviously, initial feelings is of disappointment. Just, you know, when you lose and you give your all, but no regrets. And I think both Kuya Nins and I, we did everything we could.” Eala told POC Media at the venue.
“In the end, doubles is really, you know, could be a game of chance. And I think our opponents played really well. So, I'm happy with the effort we put in.”
In their last two partnerships, during the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and the SEA Games in Vietnam last 2022, the pair also finished on the third step of the podium.
Eala and Alcantara both have two bronzes at the moment — one for mixed doubles and another for their team events.
But Eala, the top-ranked seed in the women’s singles tournament, will have the chance for gold when she faces Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the final on Thursday, December 18, at the same Nonthaburi venue for the country’s first women’s singles gold since 1999.
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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.