Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times
(C) PHILTA

News

Midlife Halftime: Vekic’s serve meets Osorio’s scramble in PWO Finals


Donna Vekic of Croatia and Camila Osorio of Colombia have not only been the most popular foreign players in the Philippine Women’s Open, but also the most consistent.

It is no surprise that they are the last two women standing in this historic WTA 125 event, set to face off in the finals at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Center Court of the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center.

Fourth-seeded Vekic has cruised through the tournament, winning four matches without dropping a set. S

he opened with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Japan’s Kyoka Okamura, followed by a 6-1, 6-2 win against Russia’s Mariia Tkacheva. In the quarterfinals, she defeated China’s Zhu Lin, 6-4, 6-3, and continued her dominant run in Saturday’s semifinals with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova.

Fifth-seeded Osorio, meanwhile, has improved with each round.
2026-Philippine-Womens-Open-Alex-Eala-vs-Camila-Osorio-2-scaled Midlife Halftime: Vekic’s serve meets Osorio’s scramble in PWO Finals News Tennis  - philippine sports news
She began with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Japan’s Sakura Hosogi, then battled past another Japanese player, Mai Hontama, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Osorio raised her level in the later rounds, stunning Filipino fans by defeating Alex Eala 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, before delivering near-perfect tennis in Friday’s semifinals, demolishing third-seeded Solana Siera of Argentina, 6-0, 6-1.

Both Vekic and Osorio are aiming to reclaim their once lofty world rankings after recent struggles with form.

The former world No. 17 Vekic has dropped to 72nd in the rankings.

A Wimbledon semifinalist, she last reached a final in 2024, claiming silver at the Paris Olympics.

The Colombian, a former world junior No. 1, is now ranked 84th after peaking at 33rd in 2022. She captured her third career title in April 2025 at the WTA 250 Copa Colsanitas, the last time she reached a professional tour final.
2026-Philippine-Womens-Open-Donna-Vekic-1 Midlife Halftime: Vekic’s serve meets Osorio’s scramble in PWO Finals News Tennis  - philippine sports news
The two have met once before, in the qualifiers of the 2022 WTA 1000 Cincinnati Masters, where Vekic prevailed in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3.

#ReadMore  Good ol' teasing turns out true as Amer hits 'Night, Night' once again

Very little separates the finalists, both of whom boast strong, powerful groundstrokes.

Vekic holds an advantage on serve, having not dropped her service game in the last three matches.

The 5-foot-10 Croatian will look to assert her strength, control rallies, and force Osorio to chase every ball.

The 5-foot-7 Colombian, though less dominant on serve, compensates with relentless grit, scrambling to retrieve every shot.

She also employs a variety of shots that keeps opponents off balance and disrupts their rhythm.

Expect a tightly contested final, one that could go either way depending on which player successfully imposes her style of play.

Written By


You May Also Like

News

Even without Alex Eala, the Philippine Women’s Open finals at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex are shaping up to be a sure-fire blockbuster. That...

News

Just as Alex Eala was finding her rhythm in the 2026 Philippine Women’s Open with back-to-back wins, her breakthrough run hit a roadblock on...

News

Alex Eala’s dream homecoming came to an end. The Filipina second seed could not mount a comeback against an inspired fifth seed, Camila Osorio,...

News

Day 4 of the Philippine Women’s Open at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila ultimately came down to consistency, as three players who...

News

Manila has quickly become a special place for Donna Vekic. The Croatian tennis star, who has already faced Filipina sensation Alex Eala twice this...

News

The Philippine Women’s Open, the country’s first-ever WTA tournament, offered more than just another stage for rising stars — it provided a rare opportunity...

News

Though the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open is a celebration of the growth of the local tennis scene, it also highlighted the gap between homegrown...

News

Fresh off an early exit in the season’s opening Grand Slam, Alex Eala found renewed rhythm — and renewed joy — on home soil,...

Advertisement