By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The Philippines is pinning its hopes on three tennis players with wide international experience in its medal drive in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last this month.
Teen sensation Alex Eala, Fil-American Ruben Gonzales and veteran Davis Cupper Francis Casey Alcantara will banner the country in the quadrennial event in hopes of landing in the podium for the first time in more than a decade.
The last time a Filipino went home with an Asian Games medal was in 2006 in Doha, Qatar where Fil-Ams Cecil Mamiit and Eric Taino bagged two bronze medals – Mamiit in the singles before teaming up with Taino in the men’s doubles.
This time, Eala and Alcantara are out to make an impact after having played overseas for most of their careers the past years.
Alcantara, 31, and Eala, 18, will be competing in the men’s and women’s singles event, while Gonzales, 37, will be teaming up with Alcantara in the men’s doubles and with Eala in the mixed doubles.
Alcantara is best known as the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam Junior Doubles title at the 2009 Australian Open. Ranked No. 238 in the ATP doubles, he has been competing in Challenger events with different partners including his recent runner-up finishes in Segovia, Spain and Zhangjiagang, China.
Gonzales, who won the men’s doubles gold medal in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia last May with Alcantara, has also been competing in the Challengers and boasts of an ATP doubles ranking at No. 178.
Perhaps the most popular of the three, Eala is a rising star seeking to make an impact in the Asiad with four International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles titles tucked under her belt.
Now ranked No. 195 in the WTA singles, Eala hopes to use her experience against her expected tough opponents from China, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan and India, to name a few.
