KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala announced her arrival in this part of the globe in style.
The country’s tennis stamped her class and humbled Thai star Luksika Kumkhum, 6-4, 6-2, to capture the W25 Chiang Rai International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Thailand Sunday,
The unseeded Eala controlled the match against a former Top 100 player to rule the $25,000 tournament and clinch her second pro title.
She won her first crown last year at the W15 Monastir in Spain.
After a surviving Serbia’s Katarina Kozarov, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the opening round, Eala played flawlessly with straight-set victories against Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandeij, 6-3, 6-4, in the second round; Japan’s Momoko Kobori, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinals; and China’s YeXin Ma, 6-3, 6-4, in the semis.
She was unfortunate, though, in the doubles event after she and Dutch partner Indy De Vroome lost in the first round to Patcharin and Punnin Kovapitukted, 4-6, 7-5, 10-6.
Eala is expected to compete in the second leg of the said W25 event next week, and two more W15 tournaments at the same venue.
The tournaments are part of Eala’s preparations for the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam next month.
