WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU ABOUT EALA PLAYING IN THE ASIAN GAMES
Merong secret narrative sa pagsali ni Alex sa Asian Games: It’s actually a lowkey publicity chess match between Eala’s camp and the WTA.
The first move came from Alex’ team by declaring that she wants to represent the Philippines in the Asian Games to be held in Japan this year.
Bold move na i-declare ito publicly kahit wala pang approval but I think this was a gigachad move ng PR ni Alex.
Of course nandyan yung mga penalties na pwedeng ipataw sa kanya gaya ng multa for late withdrawal na 10k USD at ranking-based fine na 75k USD.
Pero let’s be honest, sisiw na sa kanya to. Alex is projected to be one of the highest paid female athletes by 2027 according to her agency, IMG. Besides, may iba namang sasagot ng multa na yan kung sakali. Most likely ang Philippine government dahil sila naman ang may kailangan kay Alex na sumali.
Mas masakit pa rin para kay Alex ang “0 point” penalty na pwersahang ika-count sa ranking points niya for the 2026 season. But even that doesn't compare to what she stands to gain.
Una, mataas ang chance nyang maka-gold medal dahil wala syang kakumpetensya masyado. Hindi kasi makakasali ang iba pang top asian contenders gaya ni Xinyu Wang, Janice Tjen, Qinwen Zheng at Naomi Osaka.
A gold medal in the Asian Games would get her automatically qualified for the 2028 Olympics. While there’s another way to get a spot in the Olympics by staying within the top 56 until June 2028, kung mase-secure na nya dito pa lang sa Asian games, less pressure na sa kanya to maintain the ranking.
Isa pang rason kung bakit it makes sense e dahil pasok din ito sa branding ni Alex as THE Filipino “heroine”. Kahit na i-reject ng WTA ang petition ng PhilTA to waive the penalties, this will only make Eala’s image so much better. Kaya naman, this is a calculated publicity move by her PR team. Bonus na lang yung pressure na ginawa nila sa WTA to make a favorable decision.
Sa kabilang banda, hindi talaga pabor sa WTA kung maglalaro si Alex sa Asian Games. It will take away a lot of viewers from the China Open dahil mas papanoorin ng mga fans ni Alex ang Asiad. Alam naman na ng lahat kung gaano kalakas humatak ng viewership si Alex. And if the WTA allows her to do it, the tournament organizers from Beijing will definitely have something to say about it.
This is an unfamiliar territory din for the organization. Wala pang ibang player sa kasaysayan ng sport na may ganitong star power na nagkaroon ng ganitong klase ng conflict sa schedule. Kahit si Qinwen Zheng noong 2023, naipilit pagkasyahin sa schedule ang Asian Games at China Open kahit hapit na hapit. Sa China lang naman din kasi ginanap yun noon so isang tambling lang.
The one advantage the WTA has is that China is its own economy. Sure sila na mapupuno ang stadium pag may Chinese players na maglalaro. At di naman masyadong malaki ang presence ng mga Pinoy sa China.
Kamakailan lang, nasampolan na nga si Janice Tjen. Hindi na-approve ang kanyang excuse letter sa pagsali sa Asian Games kaya mapipilitan syang maglaro sa China Open. But one could argue that the no.1 Indonesian player just doesn’t have the bargaining chips to get the exemption.
So ngayon malinaw na ang dilemma ng WTA: if they don’t waive the penalties for Eala, they risk angering her fan base; but if they make an exception for their brightest star, the risk getting called out for playing favorites.
Personally, I think a middle ground would have been the best decision. Patawan ng cash penalty pero wala na yung zero point penalty. But that option got thrown out of the window when they rejected Tjen’s request.
Kung i-eexempt naman nila si Alex (which I highly doubt) expect WTA to demand something in return from her, probably in the form of more exhibition games and appearances to promote WTA events and programs. Or baka kailangang bumawi ni Alex sa organizers ng China Open.
O baka bawi na pala si Alex dati pa lang sa dami ng kinita ng WTA dahil sa kanya.
In any case, WTA has to make a big-brain move to navigate through this publicity chess match. And in the next few days, we will see what the organization’s move will be.
Kailangan ko muna tulugan bago ako makapagsulat. Hindi ko ma-process agad yung mga nangyari.
But as I finally decided to write this down, the general feeling I had was positive: mostly excitement, a huge amount of awe, a little heartbreak. And zero disappointment.
This match delivered on every aspect. The physicality, the mental chess-match, the emotions, the bestie-rivals narrative. And if you could detach yourself a bit from the fact that Alex lost, one could say this is one, if not the best match of her 2026 season so far --- entertainment-wise and skills-wise.
Both players had more winners vs. unforced errors which is an indication of how well they're hitting the ball and how good they are setting up wide open shots. Di gaya ng ibang matches ni Alex kung saan nalulusaw ang utak ng mga kalaban kakaisip kung bakit di nila maibalik yung tira nya, itong laban na to, shootout talaga. Neither one was willing to give up easy points. Kaya naman napaka-physical ng laro--- nadapa si Jovic, nagsplit si Alex, with fist pumps and shouting, and break of serves all around.
Nagpantay din ang fastest serves nilang dalawa sa 112 mph na biglang naglabasan sa later parts ng third set kung kelan akala nating lahat na ubos na ang gas nilang dalawa.
And the stakes became apparent as each one were moved to tears in the end. For Jovic, first time nyang makakarating sa fourth round ng US Open. For Alex naman, a missed chance to match and potentially exceed her fourth round run in Wimbledon and to finally break through against her recurring roadblock, Iva.
Gaya ni Alex, mahaharap si Jovic sa sarili nyang roadblock na si Coco Gauff na so far ay lamang ng 1-0 sa kanilang head-to-head.
Whereas Alex is heading straight to Singapore before going to the Asian Games to fight for a gold and a slot to the 2028 Olympics.
Alex and Iva elevated each other in this match. And to see our pambato keep up with this elite-level tennis, nakakatuwa talaga lalo na kung masugid mong sinusundan yung growth nya.
Nagsasalubong na ang progress chart ni Iva and Alex and I'm so excited to see Eala on her next match. After this match, I think Jovic will soon stop being a gatekeeper for Alex.
Alex "The Debt Collector" Eala has completed her payback against Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova after dominating in the 2nd round of the US Open, 6-1, 6-4.
Oliynykova, who thrives on clay surfaces, defeated Alex back in Strasbourg but found herself completely overwhelmed on a much faster hard court surface that favors Eala's playstyle.
Sa layo ng puwesto nya sa baseline pag nagseserve si Alex, kitang-kitang hindi sanay si "Oleks" sa bilis ng laro sa hard court. Hindi rin nya nagamit masyado yung moonshots nya gaya sa Strasbourg dahil sobrang baba at bilis magbalik ng bola si Alex.
Oleks put up a better fight in the second set, partly because Alex got impatient in some rallies. May times na gustong i-rush ni Alex si Oliynykova sa net pero nakahanap ng wide open shot sa baseline ang kalaban.
May konting pakaba dahil dumikit ang Ukrainian sa score na 5-4, pero tuluyan namang naisara ni Alex ang laban.
Alex held Oleks to love in six games, basically taking one free set, and cruises to the 3rd round.
SIDE STORIES: - Anong meron kay Alex at napapasalampak at split nya si Oliynykova? O mahilig lang talaga si Oliynykova na gawin yun?😆
- Nakakatuwa pa rin si Oliynykova, naka-smile pa rin after ng laro.
- Posibleng rematch na naman ni Alex at Jovic ang mangyayari sa 3rd round.
- Good luck sa mga nagpuyat pero papasok sa trabaho. Sana matapang ang kape nyo sa office. ☕
Kahit 6-1, 6-2 ang score, na-challenge nang maaga si Alex Eala ng Qualifier entry player na si Mary Stoiana from US.
Stoiana is athletic and moves well on this surface. Meron nga syang slide-strike package na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin ma-master ni Alex. Her quickness gives her good court coverage, pangontra sa direction changes ni Alex during rally. Dahil dyan, nai-push nya sa break point ang serve ni Alex nang anim na beses. Buti na nga lang, hindi nya na-convert.
And this is a perfect example of how unique tennis scoring is. Sa second set dalawa lang ang lamang ni Alex sa total points won (26-28) pero ang score nasa 5-2 na. Ipinapakita lamang na pumalag sa laban si Stoiana pero kinapos sa crucial points.
Composure and experience, di lang ni Alex kundi pati na rin ng coaching staff nya, ang nagdala sa ating pambato sa panalo. Siguro dalawang beses lang nawala yung focus ni Alex sa laro: una nung akala nya out yung bola galing kay Stoiana, at pangalawa nung nagsigawan yung crowd dahil akala nila puntos na ni Alex.
Next na makakalaban ni Alex si Oleksandra Oliynykova na tumalo sa kanya sa Strasbourg. Kung pagbabasehan ang analysis ng mga pundits at ng "3-set loss" trend ni Alex, mukhang pabor na pabor sa ating paboritong Pinay ang 2nd round.
SIDE STORIES: Covered court lang sakalam dahil lahat ng ibang match sa gabi, cancelled to next day dahil sa ulan, pero kay Alex, tuloy lang.
Ang cute ng baby pic placard moment. Ang sarap ng tulog nung nagpaprint nun.
Si mayamang tita from US ba yung nasa crowd? May legendary status na dapat yan dahil laging present sa attendance.
Alex Eala's first mixed doubles experience with Felix Auger-Aliassime (FAA) ended quite early because of chemistry diff and the new doubles format.
Ang ganda sana ng laro ni Felix at Alex sa unang rally ng first set pero later on, Alex looked like a fish out of water in this much faster mixed doubles pace. Si FAA naman, parang na-pressure na mag-take over para saluhin ang pambato natin. Kinain nya yung espasyo ni Alex na nagresulta sa forced shot attempts at errors.
And thanks to the new doubles format, where set point has been changed to 4 instead of 6, the match was already over before Alex and Felix could find any kind of rhythm between them.
The bigger story here, however, is the new format which I think is designed to entice more teams (specially popular singles specialists) to join and put more eyes on the event. Less time spent on court means less fatigue and fewer scheduling conflicts with singles matches.
Pero mas pabor din sya sa doubles specialists. Kung maganda ang game plan nila, tapos agad ang laban. Easy money.
So let's wait and see kung ma-hit ang sweet spot na resulta ng mga pagbabago sa doubles.
As for Alex, for sure marami syang natutunan dito, including, I hope, smoother daps, high-fives, and low-fives with other players. 😅
Amanda Anisimova prevailed over Alex Eala in three sets on the third round of Cincinnati Open, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Halos isang oras ang first set dahil umabot sa 12 deuces ang score sa 2-2. Dito nagstart ma-frustrate si Anisimova dahil ang dami nyang unforced errors. Sinisigawan na nya yung player's box nya sa inis.
- Sunud-sunod ang Double Faults at Unforced Errors ni Anisimova, but just when we thought sira na ang laro niya, aba'y biglang naka-recover mentally sa Set 2. Na-solve nya ang fookelya serve ni Alex. Ganda din ng point construction ni Anisimova na madalas ay nanggagaling sa kanyang killer backhand.
- Nakakuha pa ng early lead si Alex sa Set 3 at the score of 2-1, pero naglevel-up ang laro ni Anisimova. Her great shot placements led to wide open winners until she regained the lead and never looked back.
This match was a good example of how this "fookelya" serve actually works against Alex' opponents specially against top players. "It's so slow, it begs to be hit", 'ika nga ng mga analyst. But Alex places it so well with the right spin that it becomes too awkward to return. Top players, who value perfection in their game only to miss-hit this super slow serve, will most definitely lose their mind at some point.
This and Alex' elite return game and you have the perfect recipe for emotional damage. Parang yung Trojan horse sa Odyssey: it destroys you from the inside.
Dagdagan mo pa ng Filipino crowd na lalong umiingay pag pumupuntos si Alex at pumalakpak sa Double Faults ay mahihirapan ka talagang maka-recover.
And it almost worked on Anisimova. Pinapalo na nya yung sarili nya ng raketa sa inis, pero naka-regain pa rin ng focus in the end para tapusin ang laro at manalo.
*Inhale Copium here* Maagang exit pero at least mahaba ang pahinga ni Alex leading up to US Open. Sabi ng marami, maganda ang chances nya doon, and I agree.
Belinda Bencic has ended our Pambansang Raketa's run in Toronto Open, 4-6, 0-6. Her form tonight was too clean, finishing the match with only six (6) unforced errors. Immune si Bencic today sa off-tempo pace ni Alex, which is how other opponents usually crumble against the Filipina.
May mga moments na ang ganda ng ball striking nilang dalawa, pero tuluyan nang nag-fade yung energy ni Alex sa second set.
Nai-point out na ito ng commentator kung paano nawawala at bumabalik yung liksi ni Alex sa laban nya kay McNally. This time however, di na bumalik.
We can only assume how much the last few stretch of high level matches and that ankle of hers really affected her today but at least she can now start her recovery.
Aaaand, to those who was there in the stadium, nagkaroon ba ng warning regarding court etiquette before the match? Parang ang bait kasi ng Pinoy crowd today kahit nung first set na nakakadikit pa si Alex. Di tuloy nakapagsungit si Mommy Bencic. Haha!
Anyway, congrats pa rin kay Belinda Bencic and pahinga ka muna Alex!
WHAT A MATCH! Grabe salpukan nitong dalawa. Sulit ang sold out stadium!
This match shows why Caty McNally won against Linda Noskova. She refused to be rushed by Eala's anti-tempo. Superb ball striking from both players and each point was decided on who can outmaneuver the other. McNally truly deserves her flowers. Ganda!
But of course, the main story was how Alex pulled through this match. An injury scare can really disrupt a player's rhythm, and it really showed sa second set. Tapilok lang yun pero ang laki ng nawala sa momentum nya.
First time din natin syang nakitang mag-locker break. Usually sya ang laging iniiwan sa court ng kalaban. Matindi-tinding mental reset ang ginawa nina Coach Bosch para ibalik sa focus si Alex. That takes a lot of trust and respect on both coach and player. And it worked.
Sana dito rin maappreciate ng live audience yung absolute silence while the point is in play. Lalo na sa crucial moments of the match. Mas impactful ang sigawan pag na-award na yung point.
Hindi pa ko makapagtanghalian dahil baka i-return to sender ng tiyan ko. Eala will face Bencic in Round of 16.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓 #AlexEala is now a WTA Tour Title holder! Sulit ang puyat sa mga pamorningan na match schedules, sa mga nagdaang early exits, at sa pagsubabay ng kanyang tennis journey. The fact that she broke Jessica Pegula, one of the most mentally strong and consistent players in the top 10, in the third set is proof that Alex truly belongs with the best of women's tennis. And the good news: she's just getting started.
Informa-SHOWN
WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU ABOUT EALA PLAYING IN THE ASIAN GAMES
Merong secret narrative sa pagsali ni Alex sa Asian Games: It’s actually a lowkey publicity chess match between Eala’s camp and the WTA.
The first move came from Alex’ team by declaring that she wants to represent the Philippines in the Asian Games to be held in Japan this year.
Bold move na i-declare ito publicly kahit wala pang approval but I think this was a gigachad move ng PR ni Alex.
Of course nandyan yung mga penalties na pwedeng ipataw sa kanya gaya ng multa for late withdrawal na 10k USD at ranking-based fine na 75k USD.
Pero let’s be honest, sisiw na sa kanya to. Alex is projected to be one of the highest paid female athletes by 2027 according to her agency, IMG. Besides, may iba namang sasagot ng multa na yan kung sakali. Most likely ang Philippine government dahil sila naman ang may kailangan kay Alex na sumali.
Mas masakit pa rin para kay Alex ang “0 point” penalty na pwersahang ika-count sa ranking points niya for the 2026 season. But even that doesn't compare to what she stands to gain.
Una, mataas ang chance nyang maka-gold medal dahil wala syang kakumpetensya masyado. Hindi kasi makakasali ang iba pang top asian contenders gaya ni Xinyu Wang, Janice Tjen, Qinwen Zheng at Naomi Osaka.
A gold medal in the Asian Games would get her automatically qualified for the 2028 Olympics. While there’s another way to get a spot in the Olympics by staying within the top 56 until June 2028, kung mase-secure na nya dito pa lang sa Asian games, less pressure na sa kanya to maintain the ranking.
Isa pang rason kung bakit it makes sense e dahil pasok din ito sa branding ni Alex as THE Filipino “heroine”. Kahit na i-reject ng WTA ang petition ng PhilTA to waive the penalties, this will only make Eala’s image so much better. Kaya naman, this is a calculated publicity move by her PR team. Bonus na lang yung pressure na ginawa nila sa WTA to make a favorable decision.
Sa kabilang banda, hindi talaga pabor sa WTA kung maglalaro si Alex sa Asian Games. It will take away a lot of viewers from the China Open dahil mas papanoorin ng mga fans ni Alex ang Asiad. Alam naman na ng lahat kung gaano kalakas humatak ng viewership si Alex. And if the WTA allows her to do it, the tournament organizers from Beijing will definitely have something to say about it.
This is an unfamiliar territory din for the organization. Wala pang ibang player sa kasaysayan ng sport na may ganitong star power na nagkaroon ng ganitong klase ng conflict sa schedule. Kahit si Qinwen Zheng noong 2023, naipilit pagkasyahin sa schedule ang Asian Games at China Open kahit hapit na hapit. Sa China lang naman din kasi ginanap yun noon so isang tambling lang.
The one advantage the WTA has is that China is its own economy. Sure sila na mapupuno ang stadium pag may Chinese players na maglalaro. At di naman masyadong malaki ang presence ng mga Pinoy sa China.
Kamakailan lang, nasampolan na nga si Janice Tjen. Hindi na-approve ang kanyang excuse letter sa pagsali sa Asian Games kaya mapipilitan syang maglaro sa China Open. But one could argue that the no.1 Indonesian player just doesn’t have the bargaining chips to get the exemption.
So ngayon malinaw na ang dilemma ng WTA: if they don’t waive the penalties for Eala, they risk angering her fan base; but if they make an exception for their brightest star, the risk getting called out for playing favorites.
Personally, I think a middle ground would have been the best decision. Patawan ng cash penalty pero wala na yung zero point penalty. But that option got thrown out of the window when they rejected Tjen’s request.
Kung i-eexempt naman nila si Alex (which I highly doubt) expect WTA to demand something in return from her, probably in the form of more exhibition games and appearances to promote WTA events and programs. Or baka kailangang bumawi ni Alex sa organizers ng China Open.
O baka bawi na pala si Alex dati pa lang sa dami ng kinita ng WTA dahil sa kanya.
In any case, WTA has to make a big-brain move to navigate through this publicity chess match. And in the next few days, we will see what the organization’s move will be.
3 days ago | [YT] | 57
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Informa-SHOWN
STARS OF THE OPEN. ❎
STARS OF THE SLUGFEST. ✅
Kailangan ko muna tulugan bago ako makapagsulat. Hindi ko ma-process agad yung mga nangyari.
But as I finally decided to write this down, the general feeling I had was positive: mostly excitement, a huge amount of awe, a little heartbreak.
And zero disappointment.
This match delivered on every aspect. The physicality, the mental chess-match, the emotions, the bestie-rivals narrative. And if you could detach yourself a bit from the fact that Alex lost, one could say this is one, if not the best match of her 2026 season so far --- entertainment-wise and skills-wise.
Both players had more winners vs. unforced errors which is an indication of how well they're hitting the ball and how good they are setting up wide open shots. Di gaya ng ibang matches ni Alex kung saan nalulusaw ang utak ng mga kalaban kakaisip kung bakit di nila maibalik yung tira nya, itong laban na to, shootout talaga.
Neither one was willing to give up easy points. Kaya naman napaka-physical ng laro--- nadapa si Jovic, nagsplit si Alex, with fist pumps and shouting, and break of serves all around.
Nagpantay din ang fastest serves nilang dalawa sa 112 mph na biglang naglabasan sa later parts ng third set kung kelan akala nating lahat na ubos na ang gas nilang dalawa.
And the stakes became apparent as each one were moved to tears in the end. For Jovic, first time nyang makakarating sa fourth round ng US Open. For Alex naman, a missed chance to match and potentially exceed her fourth round run in Wimbledon and to finally break through against her recurring roadblock, Iva.
Gaya ni Alex, mahaharap si Jovic sa sarili nyang roadblock na si Coco Gauff na so far ay lamang ng 1-0 sa kanilang head-to-head.
Whereas Alex is heading straight to Singapore before going to the Asian Games to fight for a gold and a slot to the 2028 Olympics.
Alex and Iva elevated each other in this match. And to see our pambato keep up with this elite-level tennis, nakakatuwa talaga lalo na kung masugid mong sinusundan yung growth nya.
Nagsasalubong na ang progress chart ni Iva and Alex and I'm so excited to see Eala on her next match. After this match, I think Jovic will soon stop being a gatekeeper for Alex.
Buksan ang gate. Kumakatok ang Pinay.
1 week ago | [YT] | 1,084
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Informa-SHOWN
SA 'YO ANG STRASBOURG. AKIN ANG BRGY. NEW YORK.
Alex "The Debt Collector" Eala has completed her payback against Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova after dominating in the 2nd round of the US Open, 6-1, 6-4.
Oliynykova, who thrives on clay surfaces, defeated Alex back in Strasbourg but found herself completely overwhelmed on a much faster hard court surface that favors Eala's playstyle.
Sa layo ng puwesto nya sa baseline pag nagseserve si Alex, kitang-kitang hindi sanay si "Oleks" sa bilis ng laro sa hard court. Hindi rin nya nagamit masyado yung moonshots nya gaya sa Strasbourg dahil sobrang baba at bilis magbalik ng bola si Alex.
Oleks put up a better fight in the second set, partly because Alex got impatient in some rallies. May times na gustong i-rush ni Alex si Oliynykova sa net pero nakahanap ng wide open shot sa baseline ang kalaban.
May konting pakaba dahil dumikit ang Ukrainian sa score na 5-4, pero tuluyan namang naisara ni Alex ang laban.
Alex held Oleks to love in six games, basically taking one free set, and cruises to the 3rd round.
SIDE STORIES:
- Anong meron kay Alex at napapasalampak at split nya si Oliynykova? O mahilig lang talaga si Oliynykova na gawin yun?😆
- Nakakatuwa pa rin si Oliynykova, naka-smile pa rin after ng laro.
- Posibleng rematch na naman ni Alex at Jovic ang mangyayari sa 3rd round.
- Good luck sa mga nagpuyat pero papasok sa trabaho. Sana matapang ang kape nyo sa office. ☕
1 week ago | [YT] | 1,423
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Informa-SHOWN
IT WAS CLOSER THAN THE SCORE
Kahit 6-1, 6-2 ang score, na-challenge nang maaga si Alex Eala ng Qualifier entry player na si Mary Stoiana from US.
Stoiana is athletic and moves well on this surface. Meron nga syang slide-strike package na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin ma-master ni Alex. Her quickness gives her good court coverage, pangontra sa direction changes ni Alex during rally. Dahil dyan, nai-push nya sa break point ang serve ni Alex nang anim na beses. Buti na nga lang, hindi nya na-convert.
And this is a perfect example of how unique tennis scoring is. Sa second set dalawa lang ang lamang ni Alex sa total points won (26-28) pero ang score nasa 5-2 na. Ipinapakita lamang na pumalag sa laban si Stoiana pero kinapos sa crucial points.
Composure and experience, di lang ni Alex kundi pati na rin ng coaching staff nya, ang nagdala sa ating pambato sa panalo. Siguro dalawang beses lang nawala yung focus ni Alex sa laro: una nung akala nya out yung bola galing kay Stoiana, at pangalawa nung nagsigawan yung crowd dahil akala nila puntos na ni Alex.
Next na makakalaban ni Alex si Oleksandra Oliynykova na tumalo sa kanya sa Strasbourg. Kung pagbabasehan ang analysis ng mga pundits at ng "3-set loss" trend ni Alex, mukhang pabor na pabor sa ating paboritong Pinay ang 2nd round.
SIDE STORIES: Covered court lang sakalam dahil lahat ng ibang match sa gabi, cancelled to next day dahil sa ulan, pero kay Alex, tuloy lang.
Ang cute ng baby pic placard moment. Ang sarap ng tulog nung nagpaprint nun.
Si mayamang tita from US ba yung nasa crowd? May legendary status na dapat yan dahil laging present sa attendance.
Lakas makabata ng salamin ni Daddy Mike.
1 week ago | [YT] | 1,912
View 28 replies
Informa-SHOWN
OVER IN AN INSTANT #alexeala #usopen
Alex Eala's first mixed doubles experience with Felix Auger-Aliassime (FAA) ended quite early because of chemistry diff and the new doubles format.
Ang ganda sana ng laro ni Felix at Alex sa unang rally ng first set pero later on, Alex looked like a fish out of water in this much faster mixed doubles pace. Si FAA naman, parang na-pressure na mag-take over para saluhin ang pambato natin. Kinain nya yung espasyo ni Alex na nagresulta sa forced shot attempts at errors.
And thanks to the new doubles format, where set point has been changed to 4 instead of 6, the match was already over before Alex and Felix could find any kind of rhythm between them.
The bigger story here, however, is the new format which I think is designed to entice more teams (specially popular singles specialists) to join and put more eyes on the event. Less time spent on court means less fatigue and fewer scheduling conflicts with singles matches.
Pero mas pabor din sya sa doubles specialists. Kung maganda ang game plan nila, tapos agad ang laban. Easy money.
So let's wait and see kung ma-hit ang sweet spot na resulta ng mga pagbabago sa doubles.
As for Alex, for sure marami syang natutunan dito, including, I hope, smoother daps, high-fives, and low-fives with other players. 😅
3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 1,739
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Informa-SHOWN
NO TOP TEN SLAYING TODAY FOR #AlexEala.
Amanda Anisimova prevailed over Alex Eala in three sets on the third round of Cincinnati Open, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Halos isang oras ang first set dahil umabot sa 12 deuces ang score sa 2-2. Dito nagstart ma-frustrate si Anisimova dahil ang dami nyang unforced errors. Sinisigawan na nya yung player's box nya sa inis.
- Sunud-sunod ang Double Faults at Unforced Errors ni Anisimova, but just when we thought sira na ang laro niya, aba'y biglang naka-recover mentally sa Set 2. Na-solve nya ang fookelya serve ni Alex. Ganda din ng point construction ni Anisimova na madalas ay nanggagaling sa kanyang killer backhand.
- Nakakuha pa ng early lead si Alex sa Set 3 at the score of 2-1, pero naglevel-up ang laro ni Anisimova. Her great shot placements led to wide open winners until she regained the lead and never looked back.
This match was a good example of how this "fookelya" serve actually works against Alex' opponents specially against top players. "It's so slow, it begs to be hit", 'ika nga ng mga analyst. But Alex places it so well with the right spin that it becomes too awkward to return. Top players, who value perfection in their game only to miss-hit this super slow serve, will most definitely lose their mind at some point.
This and Alex' elite return game and you have the perfect recipe for emotional damage. Parang yung Trojan horse sa Odyssey: it destroys you from the inside.
Dagdagan mo pa ng Filipino crowd na lalong umiingay pag pumupuntos si Alex at pumalakpak sa Double Faults ay mahihirapan ka talagang maka-recover.
And it almost worked on Anisimova. Pinapalo na nya yung sarili nya ng raketa sa inis, pero naka-regain pa rin ng focus in the end para tapusin ang laro at manalo.
*Inhale Copium here* Maagang exit pero at least mahaba ang pahinga ni Alex leading up to US Open. Sabi ng marami, maganda ang chances nya doon, and I agree.
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 1,117
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𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 🤌
Belinda Bencic has ended our Pambansang Raketa's run in Toronto Open, 4-6, 0-6.
Her form tonight was too clean, finishing the match with only six (6) unforced errors. Immune si Bencic today sa off-tempo pace ni Alex, which is how other opponents usually crumble against the Filipina.
May mga moments na ang ganda ng ball striking nilang dalawa, pero tuluyan nang nag-fade yung energy ni Alex sa second set.
Nai-point out na ito ng commentator kung paano nawawala at bumabalik yung liksi ni Alex sa laban nya kay McNally. This time however, di na bumalik.
We can only assume how much the last few stretch of high level matches and that ankle of hers really affected her today but at least she can now start her recovery.
Aaaand, to those who was there in the stadium, nagkaroon ba ng warning regarding court etiquette before the match? Parang ang bait kasi ng Pinoy crowd today kahit nung first set na nakakadikit pa si Alex. Di tuloy nakapagsungit si Mommy Bencic. Haha!
Anyway, congrats pa rin kay Belinda Bencic and pahinga ka muna Alex!
1 month ago | [YT] | 1,869
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WHAT A MATCH! Grabe salpukan nitong dalawa. Sulit ang sold out stadium!
This match shows why Caty McNally won against Linda Noskova. She refused to be rushed by Eala's anti-tempo. Superb ball striking from both players and each point was decided on who can outmaneuver the other. McNally truly deserves her flowers. Ganda!
But of course, the main story was how Alex pulled through this match. An injury scare can really disrupt a player's rhythm, and it really showed sa second set. Tapilok lang yun pero ang laki ng nawala sa momentum nya.
First time din natin syang nakitang mag-locker break. Usually sya ang laging iniiwan sa court ng kalaban. Matindi-tinding mental reset ang ginawa nina Coach Bosch para ibalik sa focus si Alex. That takes a lot of trust and respect on both coach and player. And it worked.
Sana dito rin maappreciate ng live audience yung absolute silence while the point is in play. Lalo na sa crucial moments of the match. Mas impactful ang sigawan pag na-award na yung point.
Hindi pa ko makapagtanghalian dahil baka i-return to sender ng tiyan ko. Eala will face Bencic in Round of 16.
1 month ago | [YT] | 3,248
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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓
#AlexEala is now a WTA Tour Title holder! Sulit ang puyat sa mga pamorningan na match schedules, sa mga nagdaang early exits, at sa pagsubabay ng kanyang tennis journey.
The fact that she broke Jessica Pegula, one of the most mentally strong and consistent players in the top 10, in the third set is proof that Alex truly belongs with the best of women's tennis.
And the good news: she's just getting started.
1 month ago | [YT] | 3,060
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Pwede na matulog ang mga taga-Pilipinas. Cancelled na po for today ang laban ni Alex according to organizers. Mamayang gabi na ulit.
1 month ago | [YT] | 34
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