Eala falls to French foe, misses WTA finals

By Peter Atencio

ALEX Eala missed the finals of the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz on Saturday after going down in a 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 setback in her semifinal encounter with no. 3 seed Jessika Ponchet of France at the Peña Vitoriana Tennis Club in Spain.

The WTA No. 258 Eala enjoyed a 3-0 lead following a forehand error from her 137th-ranked foe.

But the 26-year-old Ponchet turned the tables around, producing eight aces and three double faults in their match that almost reached two hours.

Eala served one ace and five double faults during the game.

With the win, Ponchet kept her lead in their head-to-head with Eala, 3-1, and advanced to the final against Ukrainian sixth seed and World No. 155 Daria Snigur.

For Eala, it was her best W100 finish after posting second-round results in 2022 at the Shrewsbury qualifiers in Great Britain and Grodzisk Mazowiecki main draw in Poland.

Eala reached the semis after hurdling Romanian fifth seed Jaqueline Cristian in the opening round, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (1), 6-2, Chinese qualifier Tianmi Mi in the second round, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-0, and Spanish Lucia Cortez Llorca in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Teaming up with local bet Marina Bassols Ribera, they came away with a 6-2, 6-2 ouster of Indian second seeds Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare.

After that, they fell in a 5-7, 6-1, 9-11 quarterfinals loss to Latvian Diana Marcinkevica and French Estelle Cascino.

Jessy Mendiola

Jessy Mendiola eager to work with Marian Rivera

DURING a recent interview, Jessy Mendiola expressed her desire to collaborate with

Kapuso actress Marian Rivera in the near future, especially now that GMA and ABSCBN are working together.

Jessy stated that she would be honored to work with Marian and that many have suggested they could portray sisters onscreen due to their Mestiza looks. Jessy even mentioned that she would gladly accept a role as Marian's Personal Assistant (PA) if that opportunity arose.

“Even if my role will be her PA, I will accept it,” she said in jest. The actress also revealed her admiration for Marian, saying that she looks up to her. Jessy shared that she follows Marian's family on social media, which illustrates the level of respect she has for her.

When asked about the reasons for her high regard towards the Kapuso actress, Jessy praised Marian's dedication to her family, particularly as a hands-on mom. She believes that this aspect is something they both have in common and could bond over. Jessy also commended Marian's acting skills, acknowledging her as the Queen of her craft and expressing her genuine eagerness to collaborate with her.

As for the GMA roster of actors, Jessy mentioned that given the chance, she would love to work with Marian's husband, Dingdong Dantes Having met Dingdong once before and being impressed by his kindness, she expressed her wish to be part of a project with him.

Interestingly, in what genre does she want to appear in her comeback project if ever?

“I prefer to play mommy characters. It will be a joy to see myself on screen with a kid. It’s heartwarming and inspiring. I’m really looking forward to go back to acting.”

The pretty actress clears though that her comeback will be gradual.

“I really requested to be given at least six months more so that I can witness and focus on the growth of my daughter Isabella Rose. I might do a mini-series first before I go full swing once again,” Jessy ended.

* * *

In a recent television guesting, Sef Cadayona revealed that he almost left showbiz especially when the public observed that he’s no longer part of Bubble Gang when the popular gag and comedy show transferred to a new timeslot every Sunday.

“I thought it was already time to graduate from the ‘biz,” he said. “But as you see, I’m still here. Actually, I haven’t left. If you still need me, I will always be around. Months before, this wasn’t the scenario. I was already contemplating quitting the business and looking into a different side of my life. I told myself, ‘I don’t want to be in showbiz anymore.’”

What was the reason why he came to that decision?

“Honestly, it’s because I wasn’t getting meaty offers then. It’s like, I was asking myself, ‘Am I still okay? Am I still able to portray my roles well?’”