Eala pumped up for Asiad drive

MANILA, Philippines — All set for the 20th Asian Games, Alex Eala is embracing the challenge of playing her part in Team Philippines’ hunt for precious gold medals in Japan.

The 21-year-old tennis darling is billed as a heavy favorite but ever humble, she shakes off the high-expectation tag, stressing it will be a battle royale for the women’s singles tiara in Aichi-Nagoya.

 “I think I have as big a chance as any other person on the draw,” said Eala as she shifts focus to the Sept. 27 to Oct. 2 Asiad after her shocking exit at the WTA500 Singapore Open Thursday night on a 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 Round of 16 loss to No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova of Russia.

Eala, WTA No. 18, is the highest ranked player in the field with majority of the continent’s elite players, including Hangzhou Games champion Zheng Qinwen of China, skipping the conclave to compete at the WTA1000 China Open in Beijing.

Aside from Qinwen (WTA No. 52), world No. 1 and newly-minted US Open champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan as well as No. 17 and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan are also out of the Asiad cast.

Seen as Eala’s biggest road blocks to Asiad supremacy are Chinese bets Shuai Zhang (singles No. 55, doubles No. 7) and Xiyu Wang (No. 83) and her SEA Games rivals Mananchaya Sawangkaew (No. 88) and Lanlana Tararudee (No. 62) of Thailand.

“I think once you compete and you’re in the draw, you have the chance. So, I’ll do my best,” said Eala.

She vowed to learn from her stinging defeat in Singapore.

“Of course. I’ll process the loss and all the steps along the way,” she said.