Manila: Filipino star Alex Eala moved to the second round of the Philippine Women's Open following a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Russian Alina Charaeva before a sellout crowd at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila on Monday night. The second seed will face the winner between Japan's Nao Hibino and Himeno Sakatsume.
According to Philippines News Agency, local wild cards Tennielle Madis and Elizabeth Abarquez got the early boot in the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) 125 event, the first project of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee headed by Philippine Sports Commission Chair Patrick Gregorio. Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, the 2025 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist, ousted Philippine No. 2 Madis, 6-4, 6-0. Sawangkaew will meet the winner between sixth seed Lulu Sun of New Zealand and Zhu Lin of China.
Japanese Mai Hontama bageled Abarquez, a member of seven-time UAAP champion National University, 6-0, 6-0. Hontama will battle fifth seed Camila Osorio of Colombia, who pulled off a 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifier Sakura Hosogi of Japan.
Unseeded Lanlana Tararudee of Thailand ousted seventh seed Simona Waltert of Switzerland, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, to advance against Polina Kudermetova of Uzbekistan, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Miho Kuramochi of Japan. Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva downed Thailand's Peangtarn Plipuech, 6-0, 6-4, to advance against the winner between Belgium's Sofia Costoulas who sent Slovakian qualifier Viktoria Morvayova packing, 7-6(8), 6-7(4), 6-4.
In doubles play, Latvia's Darja Semenistaja and Argentina's Nicole Fossa Huergo beat the Philippines' Kaye Emana and Justine Maneja, 6-2, 6-2. Emana, the UAAP Season 87 co-Most Valuable Player, will make her debut singles match Tuesday against Russian Tatiana Prozorova.
