Wang defeats Eala to reach Asian Games tennis final

China’s Wang Xiyu defeated Philippines top seed Alex Eala in three sets in the Asian Games women’s singles semifinal on October 1, ending Eala’s bid for the gold-medal match and leaving her with bronze. Wang won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 after losing the opening set. She will face compatriot Zhang Shuai in the final. Eala, ranked No. 18, had been seeking her first Asian Games singles final. Wang, ranked No. 85, recovered in the second set and took control in the third. She fought off break points before serving out the match, according to the match account. The result gave Eala her second consecutive Asian Games singles bronze. She also won a mixed doubles bronze at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, bringing her Asian Games medal total to three. Her semifinal loss ended her opportunity to improve on the singles bronze she earned in Hangzhou. Eala chose to represent the Philippines in Nagoya rather than compete at the concurrent WTA event in Beijing. She said after the match that she had no regrets about that decision, citing the experience of competing for her country and being with the team.