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Eala credits Pacquiao for paving way for Filipino athletes
Alex Eala credits Manny Pacquiao for paving the way for Filipino athletes. She opens her Cincinnati Open debut against Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Saturday.
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MANILA – Alexandra Eala, the 21-year-old Filipina tennis player ranked 20th in the world, said Manny Pacquiao opened doors for Filipino athletes long before she stepped onto a WTA court.
Eala spoke about the boxing legend during a press conference ahead of her Cincinnati Open debut. She called Pacquiao a trailblazer whose fights brought the country together.
"Pacquiao is such a sporting legend for us Filipinos, and he has done a lot for us athletes to pave the way," Eala said. "It never really crossed my mind while watching his fights back home that one day I would be compared to him."