TOP seed Alexandra "Alex" Eala of the Philippines looks to secure a podium finish in the 20th Asian Games tennis women's singles play at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Japan on Wednesday. World No. 18 Eala faces No. 143 Joanna Garland of Taiwan in the quarterfinals with a victory guaranteeing the Filipino tennis ace of matching her bronze medal finish in the previous Asiad edition in Hangzhou, China back in 2023. Eventual losing semifinalists like Eala in Hangzhou are awarded a bronze medal right away instead of having to earn it in a battle-for-third match. The specific time and court for the Eala-Garland match had not been determined yet at press time. Despite the rain delay and her match being moved indoors, Eala began her gold medal bid in a dominant fashion as she dispatched world No. 517 Thai Patcharin Cheapchandej, 6-1, 6-0, on Monday. Eala, who received a first-round bye, is determined to win the gold medal. “Of course I want the gold, everyone wants the gold and I’ve worked hard," said the 21-year-old. "I'm here to compete like every tournament, I want to win but, you know, losses are possible. Losses are possible and they happen often. So if it comes to that I have to accept it and try to be better. But I would love a gold.” On the other hand, the 25-year-old Garland kickstarted her campaign with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Mongolian Martaa Chogsomjav in the first round and a 6-1, 6-1 triumph against Iranian Mandegar Farzami in the second. In the women's mixed doubles, Eala and Shaira Rivera were facing the Hong Kong tandem of Lai Ching Laam and Liu Kallista in the first round on Tuesday afternoon. A win by Eala and Rivera would pit them against the Chinese duo of Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan in the second round. Jiang and Yang received a first-round bye.