NAGOYA, Japan, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Filipino fans came from far and wide to watch Alex Eala at the Asian Games tennis on Monday but had their spirits dampened as poor weather caused the women's top seed to be shifted to a closed indoor court for her first match.
The first Filipino to win a WTA title, world number 18 Eala is a star in her home nation and draws crowds of adoring fans wherever she plays.
A sold-out opener on the 3,500-capacity outdoor centre court at Higashiyama Park Tennis Center was
therefore assured until the weather intervened and her match against Thailand's Patcharin Cheapchandej was moved indoors as organisers battled a logjam of matches.
Instead of a big crowd draped with Filipino flags, Eala's winning debut in Nagoya was seen by only a few dozen spectators including media, team officials and green-shirted volunteers.
'READY FOR ANYTHING'
With matches on courts either side of her and rallies punctuated by the cheers of coaches exhorting other players, the atmosphere was more like a community tournament than a continental competition.
Not that Eala was bothered after thumping Patcharin 6-1 6-0 to book a quarter-final against Taiwan's number one Joanna Garland.
"I think 'ready for anything' was the mindset," she told reporters.
"At the end of the day, the measurements of the court are the same. It's not the first time I've played in conditions like this, and they're good conditions."
With rain drizzling on and off, the court switch left Eala fans gutted.
Having been on vacation in Japan, Davao City residents Pao Hernandez and his wife Renelle bought two lots of 4,000 yen ($25.50) tickets and raced down to Nagoya to see Eala but they missed out twice, with Eala given a bye in the first round.
"We have to go back to the Philippines, so it's sad. It sucks, man. It really sucks," Hernandez told Reuters.
"I mean, we love her because she's put the Philippines on her shoulders and made tennis popular. It's like Filipino pride."
Kevin Payares, a member of Nagoya's Filipino community of about 10,000 people, was similarly frustrated after bringing his twin brother.
"We took a day off to come. All of our co-workers as well," Payares told Reuters. "Our last hope will be that she makes it into the final."
Eala, who won singles and mixed doubles bronze medals three years ago at the Hangzhou Asian Games, elected to skip the China Open to play in Nagoya, giving up ranking points.
She is also risking a ranking penalty for missing the mandatory WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing but the Asian Games title would earn her a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
($1 = 157.0100 yen)
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Ed Osmond)
