After delay, Alex Eala wins first match at Asian Games 2026 in 55 minutes

Dubai: Alex Eala overcame a weather delay and a switch to an indoor court to make a winning start at the Asian Games 2026, beating Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej 6-1, 6-0 in 55 minutes.

The match was initially delayed after heavy rain disrupted the tennis schedule with the match eventually moving to Indoor Court C of the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya. Organisers moved matches indoors as wet conditions affected play, with Eala’s contest also pushed back.

Once play began, the top-seeded Filipina wasted little time taking control. Eala broke early and never allowed Cheapchandej to settle, dropping only one game in the opening set before completing a 6-0 second set.

The 21-year-old is competing in the Asian Games despite the possibility of being fined by the WTA. The Games overlap with the mandatory China Open, and Eala’s participation could result in a fine of up to $10,000 (Dh 36,725) and the loss of ranking points if her exemption request is rejected.

Eala won bronze in women’s singles and mixed doubles at the 2022 Asian Games, held in Hangzhou in 2023, and is now targeting gold in Nagoya. She arrived as the world No. 18 and the highest-ranked player in the women’s singles draw.

She will next face Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland in the quarterfinals on September 30.

Eala will also compete in the women’s doubles with Shaira Hope Rivera, with the pair drawn against Hong Kong’s Lai Ching Laam and Kallista Liu.