Filipina tennis star Alex Eala and partner Chan Hao-ching put up a spirited fight in their first-round doubles match at the Hong Kong Tennis Open, but fell short against Kamilla Rakhimova and Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6–3, 1–6, 7–10.
The newly formed duo, playing together for the first time, showed early chemistry as they took the opening set with Eala steady from the baseline and Chan dominant at the net. Their strategy paid off early, but the more experienced pair of Rakhimova and Sasnovich rallied in the second set and held firm in the deciding tiebreak.
“I had a lot of fun. It was tough. It got tough towards the end. But I think for the first time it wasn’t bad,” Eala said after the match. “Maybe next time we play together it’ll be better.”
Chan echoed her sentiment, saying, “As first time playing together, I had lots of fun.”
Eala added, “I agree that we have good communication which is so important between partners,” crediting their teamwork for helping them stay competitive in the close first set.
Their game plan, with Eala anchoring from the back and Chan taking charge at the net, proved to be a strong combination for both players.
The two also spoke about the energy from the predominantly Filipino crowd in Hong Kong ‘I’m so happy that the crowd was there—I think that it influenced the atmosphere a lot and it pumped us up in certain points,” said Eala. “The Filipinos, they really showed up and showed out.”
Eala expressed gratitude to her supporters who came to watch: “Maraming maraming salamat. Alam kong maraming bumiyahe galing Pilipinas kaya nagpapasalamat ako at sana magkita-kita tayo bukas.”
“For me it’s such a pleasure to be able to experience these types of atmosphere, and I think the fact that it’s doubles, it keeps it lively,” she added. “And I just try to enjoy every moment. It’s not everyday that you feel this atmosphere, these many people, so I really enjoyed.”
With their doubles campaign concluded, Eala now turns her focus to singles, where she will face World No. 79 Katie Boulter of Great Britain in the first round tomorrow, October 28.
“After this I can really have my mind set on my [singles] match tomorrow, but as far as it concerns me I just go about it like every other match—try to enjoy,” said Eala. “This is my last tournament of the season so I’m super happy with everything I’ve achieved this year, and I’m hungry for one last hurrah.”