Tennielle Madis showed heart and fight but eventually suffered a quick exit from the Philippine Women's Open at the hands of Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Tennielle Madis gave Mananchaya Sawangkaew a run for her money in the first set but eventually lost via sweep, 6-4, 6-0, in the first round of the Philippine Women’s Open on Monday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Madis, the no. 2 player in the Philippines behind Alex Eala, went toe-to-toe with the world no. 197 in the opener, even racing to a 2-0 advantage.
However, Sawangkaew was able to regain composure with four straight game wins to take control.
Not one to go down without a fight, Madis battled back to make things interesting by tying the set at 4-4.
But Sawangkaew’s superior experience proved crucial, and the Filipina was left gassed at the end of the set.
Sawangkaew needed four set points before finally taking the advantage, 6-4.
Fatigue seemed to get to the 18-year-old in the second set as she was unable to handle Sawangkaew’s strong hits. Madis was eventually blanked by the Thai ace, 6-0.
While Madis made a quick exit, Alex Eala and UAAP MVP Kaye Emana are still in the main draw of the Philippine Women’s Open.
Emana faces Tatiana Prozorova in the first round on Tuesday, January 27.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.