Stefi Aludo put up a valiant fight but ultimately could not overcome the experience gap, falling in straight sets toJapan’s Sakura Hosogi, 6-1, 6-2, on Sunday in the final round of qualifiers at the Philippine Women’s Open.
Playing for the second consecutive day on the center court of the refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center with a sizable home crowd cheering her on, Aludo pressed on despite falling behind early, 3-0, in the opening set.
The 17-year-old’s persistence paid off when she finally broke serve to get on the scoreboard at 3-1.
However, that would be the last game she would win, as Hosogi, the number one seed in the qualifiers, dominated the remaining games to take the first set.
Aludo, who recently won a bronze medal in women’s doubles at the Southeast Asian Games, had a golden opportunity to seize control of the second set.
After breaking the Japanese player in the first game and holding multiple game points on her own serve, she seemed poised to shift momentum.
Hosogi, however, remained composed, broke back to level at 1-1, and gradually pulled away.
Aludo stayed competitive until the fourth game, but Hosogi’s superior shotmaking and precise groundstrokes proved too much for the Filipina teen.
The Japanese closed out the second set in just eight games, ending Aludo’s run after a total of one hour and four minutes of play.
Aludo had previously notched the first-ever victory of the WTA 125 competition by dispatching 19-year-old Angeline Alcala, 6-1, 6-0, in the opening qualifying round on Saturday.
Hosogi, by contrast, entered the decisive match well-rested after a first-round bye.
With Aludo’s campaign concluded, only four Filipinas remain in the main draw: tennis star Alex Eala, 18-year-old SEA Games women’s doubles bronze medalist Tennielle Madis, and Kaye Emana of University of Santo Tomas and Elizabeth Abarquez of National University.
