Tennis: ‘Sky’s the limit’ for Alex Eala, says Hong Kong tournament director

MANILA — The director of the Hong Kong Tennis Open is in awe of “Eala-mania” after witnessing the phenomenon firsthand over the past week.

Clare Wood, a former world No. 77 during her playing days, had already seen how Filipina tennis star Alex Eala pulled in the crowds when she competed in the Middle East swing earlier this year. She received the same attention in Hong Kong, with flag-waving fans filling Victoria Park whenever Eala played.

“Honestly, I think she’s phenomenal for women’s tennis. Just watching her career progress and watching the following she has,” said Wood. 

“Earlier this year, I was in Abu Dhabi when she was playing. She sold out the stadium every night that she played. We went on to Dubai, which was a 1000. So you’ve got all the top players there as well. But it was actually Alex that sold out the stadium when she was playing,” she added.

Eala was seeded second in the tournament and finished runner-up to American Claire Liu after a 6-3, 6-0 loss in the final. 

While Eala missed out on a second WTA Tour championship, Wood nonetheless came away impressed with the Filipina player’s movement, tenacity, and fighting spirit.

“You don’t get to be [in the] top 20 in the world without having a really sound, technical, tactical, physical game. She ticks a lot of the boxes for me,” said the tournament director.

“People say, oh, she can work on her serve. And of course she can. But you know, overall, I think regardless of your technique or tactics or whatever, it really comes down to the heart, the fight, the spirit,” she added.

“I think she’s great for the game,” Wood also said.

Eala’s result in Hong Kong lifted her to No. 15 in the WTA Rankings, a new career high for the Filipina who started the year at No. 53.

For Wood, Eala can only go from strength to strength.

“If she’s in the top 20 now and they keep working hard, keep working on her physical strength and conditioning, try and keep her injury-free. Honestly, I mean, the sky’s the limit for her. She’d be exciting,” she said. 

“She’s got a whole exciting future ahead of her. And I’m going to be watching it with interest.”

Meanwhile, Wood also expressed pride in their successful hosting of the Hong Kong Open, a WTA 250 event.

“We sold out six of the seven days and the spectators and the vibe around the village has been brilliant. So all the hard work and everything that we had in the lead up to this has paid off,” she said. 

The tournament has been named best WTA 250 for the last two years. Last year, it also won the Progress Award from the WTA, on top of best tournament. — report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News