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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala fends off Japanese foe, barges into PH Open quarters

Alex Eala fends off Japanese foe, barges into PH Open quarters

Published Jan 28, 2026 07:46 pm

At A Glance

  • Red-hot Alex Eala turned her slow start into a dominant outing and notched a 6-4, 6-0 win over Japanese Himeno Sakatsume to barge into the quarterfinals of the WTA 125 Philippine Women's Open here at the jam-packed Rizal Memorial Tennis Center Wednesday evening, Jan. 28.‎
Alex Eala (PWO)
Alex Eala (PWO)

Red-hot Alex Eala turned her slow start into a dominant outing and notched a 6-4, 6-0 win over Japanese Himeno Sakatsume to barge into the quarterfinals of the WTA 125 Philippine Women's Open here at the jam-packed Rizal Memorial Tennis Center Wednesday evening, Jan. 28.‎
‎The 20-year-old Eala bucked a sluggish opening set, which lasted more than 50 minutes, after she transformed their tight round-of-16 battle into a one-sided affair in the second set where she swiftly swept her Japanese rival.

With her win, the No. 2 seeded Eala set up a quarters showdown against No. 5 seed Colombian Camila Osorio, who dispatched Japanese Mai Hontama, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, in the prior round.
This will be the first time Eala and Osorio, world No. 84, would meet in the WTA Tour.
Eala, currently WTA’s No. 49, also struck back at Sakatsume after the Japanese prevailed in their first encounter, 6-0, 6-3, in the first round of the 2023 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Osaka.
As expected, the venue was filled with Filipino fans who witnessed an early nip-and-tuck affair from the two Asian netters in the inaugural tennis joust on Philippine soil.
But, Eala, boosted by the crowd, broke free from a 4-4 score and never looked back from there.
Earlier, Tatiana Prozorova pulled off a stunning 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory against No. 1 seed German Tatjana Maria to advance to the quarters.
No. 4 seed Croatian Donna Vekic, also loved by the fans, advanced to the knockout round as she turned back Mariia Tkacheva, 6-1, 6-2, to arrange a showdown versus unseeded Chinese Lin Zhu.
Meanwhile, Stefi Aludo and Tenny Madis, two of the country’s top netters, showed promise in doubles before bowing to Japanese pair Mana Ayukawa and Kanako Morisaki, 6-2, 6-2.
Another Filipina duo in Rovie Baulete and Elsie Abarquez stumbled as well against Japan’s Hiroko Kuwata and China’s Qiu Yu Ye, 6-0, 6-2.
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