Junior tennis sensation Alex Eala fell short on her bid in the women’s singles of the 31st Southeast Asian Games after yielding to a more experienced rival at the Hanaka Tu Son Bac Ninh in Vietnam Friday.
Eala lost, 6-4, 6-1, to Kumkhum, a former world No. 66 player and winner of the 2017 edition.
This was Eala’s third bronze medal after also settling for third in the women’s team event and the mixed doubles with Treat Huey Thursday.
Eala and Huey lost to Thai pair Patcharin Cheapchandej and Pruchya Isaro in a three-setter semifinal.
Tied at 4-all, Eala fell into a maze of errors as Kumkhum broke her serve to take the 5-6 lead.
It set the tone of the match as Kumkhum went on to win the set and eventually controlled the second frame en route to the win.