Wang Xiyu beats Alex Eala to set up all-China Asian Games final

Wang Xiyu defeated Alex Eala 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the Asian Games women's singles semifinals in Nagoya on Thursday, securing an all-Chinese final against Zhang Shuai. The Associated Press reported that Eala and the other beaten semifinalist, Kazakhstan's Yuliya Putintseva, received bronze medals, while Wang and Zhang advanced to contest gold.

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Eala initially controlled the match at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, winning the first five games. According to Philstar's match report, Wang then took three consecutive games before Eala closed out the opening set in the ninth. That recovery did not win Wang the set, but she continued to make progress in the second.

After the players held serve to reach 1-1, Wang won four games in succession to establish a 5-1 advantage. Eala reduced the deficit to 5-3 before Wang levelled the match. The deciding set followed a similar pattern: Eala won the opening game, but Wang moved ahead 4-1 and eventually served out the victory without conceding a point in the final game, Philstar reported.

The result reversed their previous meeting. AP reported that Eala had beaten Wang 6-4, 6-3 on clay at the Italian Open five months earlier, their only prior encounter. This time, on a hard court, the 85th-ranked Wang overcame the world number 18. Eala's defeat also ended her opportunity to earn an automatic place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics through winning this event.

Zhang reached the final by defeating Putintseva 6-4, 6-2. The 37-year-old, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, will face the 25-year-old Wang for the title. For Eala, the semifinal loss meant a second consecutive Asian Games singles bronze, according to Philstar, rather than a first appearance in the gold-medal match.

In post-match comments carried by GMA News through POC Media, Eala credited Wang's greater consistency and said she needed to review her own fluctuations with her team. She nevertheless expressed no regret about representing the Philippines in Nagoya, saying she valued the support and time with the national team. She also described herself as physically stronger, more mature and more experienced than before.