ALEX Eala moved a step closer to Asian Games gold after dismantling Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland, 7-5, 6-0, on Wednesday to reach the women’s singles semifinals and guarantee herself another Asiad medal.

Eala, the tournament’s top seed and world No. 18, endured a competitive opening set against the eighth-seeded Garland, ranked 143rd in the world. The Filipino star stayed composed in the tight exchanges before taking control late to claim the first set, 7-5.

The second set was a different story. Eala dictated the rallies from the outset, broke away from Garland and completed a flawless 6-0 sweep to finish the quarterfinal match in straight sets at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.

The victory assured Eala of at least a bronze medal, giving her another podium finish after she also won bronze in women’s singles at the Hangzhou Asian Games. This time, however, the 21-year-old Filipina has her sights set on the top prize.

Eala began her Nagoya campaign in commanding fashion, crushing Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej, 6-1, 6-0. She followed that performance by holding her nerve against Garland to remain unbeaten and reach the last four.

Her campaign is not limited to singles.

Eala is also competing in women’s doubles with Shaira Hope Rivera, with the pair making an impressive start. The Filipinos defeated Hong Kong’s Lai Ching Laam and Kallista Liu, 6-1, 6-3, to advance to the next round.

Their next challenge is a formidable Chinese tandem, third seeds Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan. With the doubles event still alive, Eala has another route toward adding to the Philippine medal tally.

The country also received a major boost from Carlo Paalam, who punched his ticket to the men’s 55kg boxing final by edging Kazakhstan’s reigning world champion Makhmud Sabyrkhan, 3-2. The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist is assured of at least silver and will face Japan’s Rui Yamaguchi for gold.

In beach volleyball, Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons saw their campaign end in the quarterfinals after a three-set defeat to Thailand. Sofiah Pagara and Khylem Progella, meanwhile, advanced to the semifinals.

The Philippines has now collected 18 medals — three gold, three silver and 12 bronze — following EJ Obiena’s record-setting pole vault victory.