By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Alex Eala smashed her way to the top of the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s achievers for September after winning her first WTA title at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico.
The 20-year-old tennis sensation recovered from a set down to prevail over Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Eala also made history at the US Open in August with a first-round victory in the main draw.
Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, the Alas Pilipinas Men, darter Lovely Mae ‘Bebang’ Orbeta, and pickleball player Bambi Zoleta produced noteworthy performances.
Obiena helped organized the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge at the Ayala Triangle in Makati, ruling the event with his season’s best 5.80 meters.
Alas Pilipinas defeated world’s No. 21 Egypt, 29-27, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21 in the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship on home soil, the country’s first-ever win in the global meet.
But the Filipinos failed to advance in the round-of-16 after falling to No. 14 Iran, 25-21, 21-25, 25-17, 23-25, 20-22.
Orbeta hit the bull’s eye at the World Darts Federation (WDF) World Cup, beating American Paula Murphy, 7-2, in the finals of the event held in Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Zoleta, a standout in both tennis and soft tennis, bagged two gold medals at the World Pickleball Championship Tier 5 in Bali, Indonesia.
She conquered Indonesian Angie Bong, 21-15, in the women’s singles 19+ 4.5 category, and teamed up with Patricia Raymundo to demolish Marine Demol and Mila Yatmi, 21-6, in the doubles final.
Also included in the September honor roll were Joseph Arcilla, Samuel Nuguit, Patrick Mendoza, Bien Zoleta, Princess Catindig and Christy Sañosa, who topped the mixed team division of the 9th Asian Soft Tennis Championships in Mungyeong City, Korea, and the Philippine delegation that claimed the Overall Nation Championship Trophy at the FIA Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship in Sri Lanka. (PNA)
