The Philippine Women’s Open was conceived to put the Philippines on the tennis map while giving local players the chance to test themselves against top-level competition.
Monday’s matches at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center revealed both the promise and the challenges of women’s tennis in the country, as Filipino bets were shown the exit early in the tournament.
The country’s top junior player, Tennielle Madis, put up a gallant fight against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew but fell in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0.
Playing in front of a packed Center Court, the 18-year-old Madis thrilled home fans by opening a 2-0 lead against an opponent coming off a main draw appearance at the Australian Open and fresh from winning the ITF W75 Nonthaburi in early January.
Sawangkaew, who reached a career-high world ranking of 100 last year, displayed her veteran poise, taking six of the next eight games to claim the first set.
The second set belonged entirely to the Thai, who cruised to a 6-0 win.
(C) PHILTA
NU standout Elizabeth Abarquez also struggled to make an impact, failing to convert four break points that might have shifted the momentum in her favor.
Japan’s Mai Hontama, once ranked 105 in the world and a second-round Wimbledon 2022 participant, scored a commanding 6-0, 6-0 victory over the hometown favorite.
The UST duo of Kaye Ann Emana and Justin Anne Maneja showed no fear against the tournament’s fourth seeds, Argentina’s Nicole Fossa Huergo (world doubles No. 104) and Latvian Darja Semenistaja (world singles No. 98 and Alex Eala’s former doubles partner).
Emana and Maneja fought fiercely like young Tigresses but eventually fell in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.
Another UAAP pair, Angeline Alcala of De La Salle University and Joanna Peña of the University of the Philippines, struggled throughout their match, losing 6-0, 6-1 to Li Yuyun of Chinese Taipei and Japan’s Sara Saito.
In other matches, fifth seed Camille Osorio of Colombia and dark horse Polina Kudermetova of Uzbekistan advanced comfortably in straight sets.
World No. 84 Osorio defeated Japanese qualifier Sakura Hosogi, 6-4, 6-3, while Kudermetova overcame another Japanese qualifier, Miho Kuramochi, 6-3, 7-5.
The day’s only surprise came from Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee, who pulled off a minor upset against seventh seed Simona Waltert of Switzerland, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
