MANILA – Filipina tennis star Alex Eala gave the home crowd exactly what they wanted on Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2026. Despite a visible injury, she defeated Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 6-0, to secure the last quarterfinals spot at the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open.
The match at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center was more than just a win; it was a comeback story. Sakatsume had previously beaten Eala in straight sets back in 2023, but the 20-year-old Filipina was determined to change the script this time.
Eala played with a heavily bandaged right thigh, but the injury didn't slow her down for long. After a tough 48-minute first set, she found her rhythm and completely took over, finishing the second set in just 33 minutes.
The first set was a battle of endurance, with both players hitting powerful shots from the baseline. Eala showed her mental strength in the eighth game, breaking Sakatsume’s serve to tie the set at 4-4. From that moment on, Eala didn't lose another game.
"This victory was so enjoyable," Eala said after the match. Addressing her bandaged leg, she reassured her fans in Filipino, saying, “Kaya ko ito (I can do this). There’s nothing to fear.”
The world No. 49 Eala is now the highest-seeded player in the tournament. This happened after No. 1 seed Tatjana Maria of Germany suffered a surprise loss to Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova earlier that evening.
Even her opponent couldn't help but praise her. "She is really a great competitor," Sakatsume said. "She is very passionate and fights to the last point."
Other Round of 16 highlights
The night was full of action across the Rizal Memorial courts:
Camila Osorio (Colombia) defeated Mai Hontana to set up a quarterfinal match against Eala.
Donna Vekic (Croatia) moved forward easily with a 6-1, 6-2 win.
Tatiana Prozorova (Russia) pulled off the upset of the night by beating the top seed in a two-hour marathon.
Lin Zhu (China) and Solana Sierra (Argentina) also secured their spots in the next round.
While the singles matches brought joy to local fans, the Philippine doubles teams had a tougher time. Both the pairs of Aludo-Madis and Abarquez-Baulete were eliminated by their international opponents.