Spellbound

The rise and rise of Alex Eala in world tennis takes the world by surprise. The country is not exactly known for the sport, it is better known for Manny Pacquiao and its beauty queens and the chronic disasters in between, natural or man-made. Or better yet, self-inflicted, within the context of how Filipinos exercise suffrage.

Too, context explains how Filipinos are awed at the tennis breakout superstar. Where before Alex cracking the top 100 was big news, now dropping from her career-high rank 29 to 46 is bigger news. Where before Alex winning a WTA main draw match was big news, now losing it is bigger news.

It does not escape the meanest and baddest fans there is. Ranked inside top 100 is huge enough, it’s the world ranking. Insatiable, some call her a serial first set winner but ultimate loser, others call her a serial first round loser in grand slam main draw. It’s the majors, where only the best of the best of the best either qualify, seeded or invited as wild card. It is where everyone is a hungry threat. Even top seeds or defending champs lose in the first round. The bench is deep, the competition cut throat.

But fans can be demanding and unforgiving, Filipinos especially. Unfortunately as electors they are not as exacting, they just like what is exciting. Exactly why they elect clowns that tickle their fancy, or better yet, fantasy. Fantastic, not really, fanatic is more like it. Not lunatic, in deference to the historic 10-day lunar fly-by of four astronauts. The world awaits what they have found, they went farthest from the planet than any human has ever reached. They must have seen something new, after more than half a century since humanity last visited its natural satellite.

Unfortunately, peddlers of fake news have found another figure to disfigure in Alex Eala, the greatest female athletic find since Lydia de Vega, within the context of the Asiad. Or Hidilyn Diaz, within the context of the Olympiad. Ignoring fake news is not anymore the better part of discretion. Her camp should dispel it at once before it is too late. And by late means people already fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Or crook, blind, and senile. Exactly why the country has sunk, even before the self-proclaimed world police for world peace sank warships in the Middle East. The country is already living a lie, and from the truth it would rather fly.