World · World News Bureau
Eala's Asian Games tennis run ends in Wang upset
Philippine tennis star Alex Eala fell short of the final at the Asian Games after losing to China's Wang Xiyu in the women's singles semifinal. The world number 18 was defeated 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 by the 85th-ranked Chinese player.
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Eala entered the semifinal as the higher-seeded player but struggled to maintain her form against Wang's aggressive play. The Philippine champion took the opening set before faltering in the subsequent two frames, allowing Wang to advance with a convincing victory.
Wang will face fellow Chinese player Zhang Shuai in Monday's final, setting up an all-China matchup for the gold medal. The result represents a significant upset, with Eala's 32-place ranking advantage proving insufficient to overcome her opponent's strong performance on the court.
The loss marks the end of Eala's title hopes at the Games, where she had been among the medal favorites in the women's singles draw. Despite the semifinal exit, the 21-year-old remains one of Asia's rising tennis talents and is expected to continue climbing the world rankings in coming months.