After two days of rain and repeated changes to the schedule, tennis finally returned to the outdoor courts at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center on Wednesday. The sun was out, the courts were busy throughout the day, and several important singles and doubles matches were completed.
Alexandra Eala provided one of the biggest moments of the day. The top seed from the Philippines faced a strong challenge from Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland in the opening set but remained composed when it mattered. Once she took the first set, Eala moved confidently through the second to win 7–5 6–0 and reach the women’s singles semifinals.
Eala’s doubles campaign ended later in the day when she and Shaira Rivera lost 5–7 2–6 to China’s Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan. However, her singles run remains alive, and she will return to Centre Court today with a place in the final at stake.
The other leading names also booked their places in the women’s singles semifinals. China’s Wang Xiyu overcame Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 6–4 3–6 6–1, while second seed Zhang Shuai defeated another Japanese player, Himeno Sakatsume, 6–4 6–3. Kazakhstan’s Yuliya Putintseva was in control during her 6–3 6–0 win over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
India experienced a difficult day in the doubles events as three of its medal hopes came to an end.
Top seeds Anirudh Chandrasekar and N. Sriram Balaji were involved in one of the closest matches of the day against China’s Jiang Fumin and Zhang Tianhui. The Indian pair won the opening set but eventually lost 7–6(4) 6–7(9) 8–10 after a tense match tie-break.
Yuki Bhambri and Dhakshineswar Suresh were also eliminated in the men’s doubles quarterfinals, losing 6–7(5) 3–6 to Chinese Taipei’s Ho Chenjui and Hsu Yu-hsiou. Later, Bhambri and Rutuja Bhosale went down 3–6 4–6 to Hsieh Su-wei and Tseng Chun-hsin in the mixed doubles.
There was better news for India in the men’s singles. Seventh seed Sumit Nagal produced a confident performance to defeat Uzbekistan’s Sergey Fomin 6–3 6–2 and move into the quarterfinals. Suresh, however, was beaten 3–6 4–6 by Chinese Taipei’s Tseng Chun-hsin.
Top seed Coleman Wong of Hong Kong, China, also advanced after defeating Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki 7–6(1) 6–3. China’s Wu Yibing, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko, Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej, Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Uzbekistan’s Khumoyun Sultanov were among the other players to secure quarterfinal places.
A Major Day Ahead
Thursday’s programme brings together some of the biggest names remaining in the competition. The women’s singles semifinals will take centre stage. Kazakhstan’s third seed Yuliya Putintseva will face second seed Zhang Shuai in the opening match on Centre Court at 11:00 am. Later, top seed Alexandra Eala will meet fourth seed Wang Xiyu in another eagerly awaited semifinal.
The men’s singles quarterfinals also offer several exciting contests. India’s Sumit Nagal will meet China’s Wu Yibing on the Show Court, while top seed Coleman Wong faces Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej.
Kazakhstan’s second seed Alexander Shevchenko will play Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka on Centre Court. In the remaining quarterfinal, Uzbekistan’s Khumoyun Sultanov takes on Chinese Taipei’s Tseng Chun-hsin.
There will also be important matches across the doubles events. The men’s doubles semifinals will be played, while the women’s and mixed doubles competitions reach the quarterfinal stage.
With Eala, Putintseva, Zhang Shuai, Wang Xiyu, Nagal, Shevchenko and Coleman Wong all scheduled to play, Nagoya is set for one of the strongest tennis programmes of the Asian Games so far.
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