Eala, Alcantara settle for SEA Games mixed doubles bronze

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala and partner Nino Alcantara fell to home bets, Patcharin Cheapchandej and Pawit Sornlaksup, 7-5, 5-7, 7-10, to settle for a bronze medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games mixed doubles Wednesday at the National Tennis Development Center in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

On the heels of a 6-4, 6-3 win over Singapore’s Daniel Abadia and Wei Choo, the power tandem wasted a 1-0 set lead and could not overturn a 4-7 deficit in the decider for a tough semifinal defeat and the third bronze medal for Team Philippines after wins in the men's and women's team events.

Eala, WTA No. 52, and the grizzled Alcantara cooled down in the second set, failing to recover the momentum with 1-3 and 4-7 deficits. The duo tried to mount one last stand, striking to within 7-8 only to commit back-to-back errors for a stinging loss.

"Next time partner. It's not meant for us this year," said the 20-year-old Eala as she and the 33-year-old Alcantara also notched their second bronze medal after leading the men's and women's teams to semifinal finishes.

Overall, Eala has won five bronze medals since debuting in the 2022 Hanoi Games, shifting her focus now on the women's singles finals for a shot at breakthrough championship in the biennial tourney. She's the first Filipino in any SEA Games tennis finals since Anna Clarice Patrimonio lost to Thai Luksika Kumkhum in the 2027 Kuala Lumpur Games.

Stading in her way for history is another Thai bet in Sawangkaew Manangchaya, WTA No. 240, in the title showdown after the women's doubles final starting at 10 a.m. at centercourt.

Eala, who settled for bronze in her SEA Games debut with a semis defeat to Patrimonio’s tormentor in Kumkhum three years ago in Vietnam, will bank on two straight sweep victories against Thai Naklo Thasasporn, 6-1, 6-4, and Malaysian Shihomi Li Xuan Leong, to complete a perfect campaign without yielding a single set.

The 23-year-old Manangchaya, for her part, made it to the finals after stunning Indonesian title favorite and second seed Janice Tjen, who was forced to retire in the second set due to health problem after losing the opener, 4-6.

Tjen, who beat Eala in the WTA250 Sao Paulo Open quarterfinals in Brazil leading up to the SEA Games, was a projected finalist as well as the No. 54 player in the world rankings.