Alex Eala is expected to avoid a $10,000 fine from the WTA for skipping the China Open to compete at the Asian Games in Japan, where she won a bronze medal for the Philippines. The Philippine Tennis Association’s Executive Tonette Mendoza said the WTA had not followed up on penalty discussions after confirming that Eala chose to represent her country of her own accord and without government pressure.
Eala’s decision to prioritize the Asian Games over the China Open raised concerns of a possible fine under WTA rules. The China Open is a mandatory event, and players who skip it without valid reasons face financial penalties. However, Mendoza told Spin.ph that the WTA had passed new rules late last week aimed at helping players who represent their countries in events like the Asian Games.
“We asked the WTA if they could waive any penalties that they may impose on her,” Mendoza said. “The WTA just asked us a few questions if she made the decision on her own, meaning it was not under pressure from anybody in the government or national federation, if it is an Olympic qualifier for our country, to which we said yes. She made a decision on her own, and it’s an Olympic qualifier. Then they just never got back to us.”
Eala’s run at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya saw her reach the semi-finals of the women’s singles, where she lost to eventual champion Wang Xiyu of China in three sets. She beat Patcharin Cheapchandej of Thailand 6-1, 6-0 in the second round and Joanna Garland of Chinese Taipei 7-5, 6-0 in the quarter-finals. In doubles, she and partner Shaira Rivera advanced to the second round before losing to the Chinese team of Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan.
Despite missing out on the gold and failing to qualify for this year’s Olympic Games, Eala’s performance brought pride to the Philippines. Mendoza emphasized that the player was not pressured by the government to skip the China Open and that the Asian Games also serve as an Olympic qualifier for the country.
Eala’s focus now returns to the WTA Tour, with the Wuhan Open in China starting October 12 as her next tournament. She will be seeded 13th but will not receive a bye into the second round due to the smaller draw size. The Wuhan Open carries WTA 1000 status, a level at which Eala has yet to claim a title.
Earlier this year, Eala won her first WTA title at the Washington Open, a WTA 500 event. She has yet to break through at the WTA 1000 level, but with several top players such as Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and Amanda Anisimova withdrawing from Wuhan due to injury or fatigue, her chances of advancing further have improved.
This year, Eala’s best WTA 1000 performances include reaching the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, the fourth round at the Miami Open, Indian Wells, and the Canadian Open, and the third round at the Italian and Cincinnati Opens. She made only a first-round appearance at the Qatar Open earlier this year.
The Wuhan Open will take place at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, and with a relatively depleted field, Eala has an opportunity to make a deep run. Her recent Asian Games bronze, combined with the absence of several top contenders, positions her as one to watch in the upcoming tournament.
According to Yahoo Sports.
