AS EXPECTED, it was the seeded stars who rose to the occasion to cap off the historic first hosting of the Philippine Women’s Open.
While Alex Eala’s run was cut short, Filipino fans are still in for a high-level finale as Camila Osorio (WTA no. 84) and Donna Vekic (WTA no. 72) collide in Saturday’s championship match of the WTA125 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Stadium.
Eala’s conqueror, Colombia’s Osorio, wasted no time in the semifinals, dismantling Solana Sierra in just 46 minutes with a ruthless 6-0, 6-1 sweep.
READ: Osorio soaks up PH's 'familiar enviroment' in vanquishing Eala
The fifth seed set the tone early and never let up in Friday’s final-four showdown.
PH fans’ “adopted tita” Vekic, meanwhile, halted the fairy-tale run of giant-killer Tatiana Prozorova, cruising to a 6-2, 6-4 win. Prozorova had earlier made waves by knocking out top seed Tatjana Maria in the round of 16.
Saturday’s finale marks the second meeting between Osorio and Vekic in their pro careers. The fourth-seeded Vekic holds the edge, having drawn first blood with a 7-6(6), 6-3 victory in the Cincinnati 2022 qualifiers.
After her semifinal win, Vekic pointed to the work she put in during the offseason as the key to her form, seeing the Manila stop as a vital step in her season build-up.
“I really worked hard in the offseason and I was playing good tennis even in Australia when I faced Alex. But I was missing a bit confidence and that’s what I’m getting through here,” she said.
The 29-year-old also hopes to once again draw energy from the local crowd, having felt its impact in her previous matches against Eala.
“Hopefully they will be cheering for me tomorrow,” she added.
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