ALEX Eala shrugged off a slow start to pull off a 6-4, 6-0 win over Japanese Himeno Sakatsume to advance to the quarterfinal round of the WTA 125 Philippine Women's Open at the packed Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on Wednesday evening, Jan. 28.‎

The 20-year-old Eala, ranked No. 49 in the world, saw herself locked in a tight battle early, needing 50 minutes to put the 24-year-old Sakatsume away in the opening set.

Eala found the needed opening late in the first set, breaking free from a 4-all standoff by winning two straight games.

The No. 2 seed Eala then asserted her might and blanked the 140th-ranked Sakatsume in the second frame. In booking a quarterfinal ticket, Eala avenged her 0-6, 3-6 loss to Sakatsume in the first round of the 2023 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Osaka.

Eala’s quarterfinal opponent will be No. 5 seed Camila Osorio of Colombia.

Osorio, ranked No. 84 in the world, secured her own quarterfinal seat by beating Japanese Mai Hontama, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, in the Round of 16.

Eala and Osorio will be meeting for the first time in a WTA Tour.(CCM)

• Tags
• #Alex Eala
• #WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open
• #Rizal Memorial Tennis Center
• #Manila
• #January 28
• #2026
• #Himeno Sakatsume
• #Japan
• #quarterfinals
• #6-4
• #6-0
• #tennis
• #women’s singles
• #No. 2 seed
• #world ranking No. 49
• #Camila Osorio
• #Colombia
• #No. 5 seed
• #world ran