Alex Eala suffered heartbreak at the Asian Games earlier on Thursday.
The Filipina youngster, the top seed in the women’s singles event, was defeated in the semi-finals by Chinese player Xiyu Wang.
Wang, the world number 86, triumphed 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya, Japan.
Consequently, Eala has now earned a bronze in two consecutive Asian Games women’s singles events. The youngster was defeated in the semi-finals of the 2022 tournament by Zheng Qinwen, who went on to win the gold medal.
Eala was also beaten in the doubles event on Thursday; the 21-year-old and compatriot Shaira Rivera lost 5-7, 2-6 to China’s Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan.
Shortly after Eala’s loss to Xiyu on Thursday, her participation in another event was confirmed.
Alex Eala is set to play the Toray Pan Pacific Open
Eala is set to join the likes of US Open champion Elena Rybakina and top 10 stars Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek at the Japanese WTA event, the tournament confirmed on Thursday.
Will Alex Eala win a Grand Slam in 2027?
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The tournament, a WTA 500 event contested on outdoor hard courts in Tokyo, Japan, is scheduled to take place from October 26 to November 1.
Belinda Bencic is the defending champion; she defeated Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in last year’s final, 6-2, 6-3.
Bencic, who won the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal in the women’s singles event, is on the entry list for this year’s event.
A total of 28 players will compete in the singles main draw, and a prize pot of $1,206,446 has been confirmed for the singles event.
The Toray Pan Pacific Open entry list so far
- Elena Rybakina (KAZ / No. 1)
- Jessica Pegula (USA / No. 3)
- Elina Svitolina (UKR / No. 7)
- Iga Świątek (POL / No. 9)
- Marta Kostyuk (UKR / No. 10)
- Belinda Bencic (SUI / No. 12)
- Iva Jovic (USA / No. 13)
- Diana Shnaider (No. 14)
- Sorana Cîrstea (ROU / No. 16)
- Naomi Osaka (JPN / No. 17)
- Alexandra Eala (PHI / No. 18)
- Elise Mertens (BEL / No. 19)
- Jasmine Paolini (ITA / No. 20)
- Maja Chwalińska (POL / No. 21)
- Anna Kalinskaya (No. 22)
- Leylah Fernandez (CAN / No. 26)
- Ekaterina Alexandrova (No. 28)
If Eala does indeed compete in Tokyo, she will make her debut at the event.
