By REY C. LACHICA
HANGZHOU, China – Tennis star Alex Eala isn’t the “sweetheart” of Philippine sports for nothing.
She also earned a new monicker as the latest “wonder woman” of Team Philippines that enabled her join an elite club of multiple winners in the Asian Games.
That’s because she has been doing a wondrous job the past three days in in this year’s edition that many have wondered where she’s getting her inspiration, strength and energy.
Well, maybe from her fairy godmother.
She plays in women’s singles in the morning and mixed doubles with first-time partner Francis Alcantara in the evening.
Tough act, indeed.
But that what she is, her youthful exuberance continues to amaze everyone especially in her last two singles and doubles matches where she dished out an incredible performance worth telly many times over.
In her quarterfinal match with Japanese Kyoka Okamura, Eala displayed steely resolve as she rallied furiously to complete a 0-6, 7-5, 6-0 stunner, a feat that finally ended the country’s 17-year medal drought in the sport.
She also pushed No. 1 seed and US Open quarterfinalist Zheng Qinwen of China to the limit before bowing, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5, 3-6) in their exhilirating semis duel on Thursday.
Then later in the day, Eala assured herself as the country’s first multiple medallist in the grandest continental sportsfest after she and Alcantara pulled off a 6-4, 6-4 win over Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum and Jones Maximus Parapol in their quarterfinal showdown.
They lost in the semis agains Taiwanese Liang En-Shuo and Huang Tsung-hao, 5-7, 3-6, but still etched her name as the first Filipina netter to have at least two medals in a single edition since Patricia Yngayo in 1958.
Also, her partnership with Alcantara will make them third tandem in the mixed doubles event to make it to the podium – the last time was when Yngayo partnered with Federico Deyro to capture the silver medal in the 1966 edition.
Among the Filipina greats who won multiple medals in the Games were track sensation Mona Sulaiman and legendarty bowler and now PSC Commissioner Bong Coo.
Sulaiman, the pride of Cotabato, completed a golden sprint while anchoring the 4×100-relay team to another gold in the 1962 Jakarta Games. She also won a bronze in the shot put.
In 1978, Coo collected 3 golds in the women’s Masters, singles and women’s masters.
