Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera beat Hong Kong's Lai Ching Laam and Kallista Liu 6-1, 6-3 in the Asian Games women's doubles first round on Tuesday in Nagoya.
The first-time partners played on Indoor Court B at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center. Hong Kong took the opening game, then Eala and Rivera won six straight, GMA News reports. A Rivera forehand winner made it 5-1.
Hong Kong levelled the second set at 2-2 after an extended fourth game. The Filipinas pulled ahead 5-2 before Hong Kong got one back for 5-3. Eala and Rivera then served it out with a love game, capped by Rivera's jumping smash, Philstar reports.
Next for the pair are China's No. 3 seeds Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan.
They joined other Philippine doubles winners in Nagoya. Rivera and Niño Alcantara won their mixed doubles opener over Iran's Kasra Rahmani and Meshkatolzahra Safi 6-4, 1-6, 10-8. Stefi Aludo and Tennielle Madis beat Indonesia's Anjali Junarto and Meydiana Reinnamah 6-3, 7-6(4) in women's doubles.
Eala, the world No. 18 and singles top seed, beat Thailand's Patcharin Cheapchandej 6-1, 6-0 on Monday. Her singles quarterfinal against Chinese Taipei's Joanna Garland, the No. 8 seed, is set for Wednesday, and a win would guarantee at least a bronze. Wet weather has moved matches from the outdoor courts to the practice courts inside the tennis center.
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