Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala survived a tough challenge in the first set from Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume with a gritty 6-4, 6-0 victory in the second round of the Philippine Women’s Open on Wednesday evening at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Just like with her first-round opponent Alina Charaeva, it was another revenge game for Eala after she suffered a previous 6-0, 6-3 defeat against to her Japanese counterpart back in 2023 WTA 250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships .
It was a tightly contested opening set on Wednesday, with Sakatsume and Eala trading holds through the first four games before exchanging breaks in the fifth and 6th.
Neither player was able to seize control at 3-3, as both leaned on solid serving and first-strike tennis to survive pressure games. The pattern continued in the seventh and eighth, with composed holds on both sides keeping the set deadlocked at 4-4.
But Eala finally created separation in the 9th game, securing a crucial second break behind the weight and depth of her forehand and backhand. Riding that momentum, she tightened her service game to close it out to take a one-set lead.
As was the case in her opening match, Eala once again took a medical timeout before the start of the second set but it did little to disrupt her rhythm.
She carried over the momentum from the latter stages of the first set of winning its last three games, immediately asserting herself in the second set by earning two breaks in the opening three games, fueled by sharp returning and early ball control.
Eala remained in complete control in the latter stages of the set, adding another break before settling into routine service holds. With no letup in pressure, she closed out the second set emphatically, sealing the bagel to complete the win.
Despite Sakatsume holding the edge in service aces at 3-1, it was Eala who dictated play off the serve.
The Filipina’s efficiency stood out, converting winners on 67% of her first-serve points and 65% on her second serve, underscoring her overall command in the match.
With the defeat of top seed Tatjana Maria in the second round, Eala is now the highest ranked player left in the tournament. She is set to face 84th-ranked Camila Osorio of Colombia in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
