Alex Eala beats Himeno Sakatsume, reaches Philippine Women’s Open quarterfinals

Alexandra “Alex” Eala defeated Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume, 6-4, 6-0, in the Round of 16 of the Philippine Women’s Open on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex to advance to the quarterfinals.

Eala faced a stiff challenge in the opening set, with Sakatsume taking a 4-3 lead before the Filipino ace won the next three games to claim the set.

In the second set, Eala found her rhythm, pulling away early and maintaining control to close out the match and secure a spot in the next round.

The 20-year-old admitted she found herself “in a lot of tough positions” during the first set.

“But I’m really happy with how I fought through it. I think there were definitely some points na parang sa kaniya na, but I was able to steal a couple, and that’s what pushed me through in the end,” Eala said.

Eala also expressed her appreciation for the strong turnout at the WTA 125 event.

“I think we’ve had a lot of really good matches, and I’m so happy with how many people have turned out throughout the day. Kahit umuulan, kahit mainit, nandito kayo,” she said.

Eala will face Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the quarterfinals on Thursday night.

In the first round, Eala won against Alina Charaeva, 6-1, 6-2.

—GMA Integrated News