Bangkok: Filipino Alexandra Eala lived up to her billing as the tournament top seed, beating Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-1, 6-2, in the women's singles final of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games tennis tournament at the National Tennis Development Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.

According to Philippines News Agency, World No. 53 Eala triumphed over Malaysia's Shihomi Leong, 6-3, 6-1, in the quarterfinals and Thailand's Thasaporn Naklo, 6-1, 6-4, in the semifinals. This victory marked a significant achievement for the Philippines, as it was the country's first gold medal in the women's singles tennis event since Maricris Fernandez's win at the 1999 Brunei SEA Games.

Eala expressed her pride in her cultural roots and the significance of the SEA Games to Southeast Asian countries. "It's so special. I've said many times before that Pinoys are so family-oriented. I think that's a part of our culture and you know, SEA Games is something-- I think, it's very different than the WTA Tour because it's very personal to us, personal to the Southeast Asian countries and it's special in that way," the 20-year-old Eala stated.

Eala's journey to the championship match also saw her become the first Filipino to reach the finals since Clarice Patrimonio, who earned the silver medal in the 2017 edition held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.