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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Papa, Lim brace for epic duel; Capadocia eyes payback vs Madis

Papa, Lim brace for epic duel; Capadocia eyes payback vs Madis

Published May 30, 2026 03:51 pm

At A Glance

  • A pair of blockbuster, high-stakes singles finals are locked in at the P2 million Palawan Open 2026 as Fil-Am Christopher Papa survived an absolute multi-hour epic to set up a heavyweight men's singles title clash against the Philippines' premier player, Alberto Lim, Jr.
Tennielle Madis
Tennielle Madis
A pair of blockbuster, high-stakes singles finals are locked in at the P2 million Palawan Open 2026 as Fil-Am Christopher Papa survived an absolute multi-hour epic to set up a heavyweight men’s singles title clash against the Philippines' premier player, Alberto Lim, Jr.
Meanwhile, the ageless Marian Capadocia continued her defiant run, setting up a tantalizing, revenge-fueled women's finals showdown against top seed Tennielle Madis.
The Final Four matches delivered high drama late Friday, May 29, but none matched the sheer theater of the fourth-ranked Papa’s grueling 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4) reversal over Indian top seed Digvijay Singh.
After splitting the first two sets via identical scorelines, Papa and Singh engaged in a brutal, baseline mano-a-mano war in the deciding set. Refusing to yield, both players traded holds for 12 consecutive games, pushing the match into a high-pressure tiebreak. It was there that Papa’s composure shined.
Anchored by spectacular defense and elite court savvy, he unleashed a flurry of clutch volleys and heavy baseline strikes to break the top seed's resolve and secure a spot in the finals of the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, Gentry Timepieces, and Bagong Pilipinas.
Waiting for him there is the host country’s top gun, Lim, who enjoyed a starkly contrasting, dominant path to the championship of the event sanctioned by Philta and the Universal Tennis Ranking (UTR), and sponsored by the Palawan Group of Companies.
Lim re-asserted his mastery over familiar rival Eric Jed Olivarez with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory. Riding the wave of a tough quarterfinal win over Casey Alcantara, the four-time PCA Open champion imposed his will instantly, racing to a 5-0 lead in the opening frame.
He then broke Olivarez in the opening game of the second set and ultimately sealed the match by breaking him again in an extended ninth-game duel, sealing a marquee clash with Papa for the lucrative P300,000 top purse on Sunday at 5 p.m.
The women’s finale, scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m., promises to be equally explosive, though both finalists booked their tickets in shockingly lopsided fashion.
Madis and Capadocia both handed out masterclasses in the semis, dismantling their respective opponents by identical 6-0, 6-1 scorelines. Madis routed Kaye-Ann Emana, while Capadocia blasted past Louraine Jallorina.
These abbreviated victories grant both competitors extra recovery time for a highly anticipated rematch. For the 18-year-old Madis, the finale is a chance to solidify her dominance after beating Capadocia in the Philta National Women’s Open semifinals last April en route to the crown.
However, the 30-year-old Capadocia, a 10-time PCA Open champion, is primed for redemption. Fresh off a gritty 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 quarterfinal win over Stefi Aludo, the veteran is playing with the kind of hot-streak momentum that promises a classic.
Meanwhile, action in the doubles division reaches fever pitch with three titles being disputed at press time. In the men’s division, the tandem of Papa and Alcantara are locked in a battle against Olivarez and Nilo Ledama.
Over in the women’s bracket, Madis and Aludo are clashing with the formidable Emana sisters, Kaye-Ann and Mica, while a star-studded mixed doubles championship is also underway, featuring Alcantara and Capadocia tangling with the powerhouse duo of Madis and Ronard Joven.

Related Tags

Palawan Open 2026 Christopher Papa AJ Lim Jr. Marian Capadocia Tennielle Madis
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