Alex Eala faces her toughest challenge yet at the Philippine Women’s Open, with three-time WTA 250 champion Camila Osorio standing between her and a spot in the semifinals.
If Alex Eala is to take another step forward in her dream run at the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open, she must clear the biggest hurdle she has faced so far.
Standing in her way is fifth seed Camila Osorio of Colombia, as the two clash in the quarterfinals on Thursday, January 29, with a semifinal berth hanging in the balance.
First serve is set for 7:00 p.m., with the match streaming live on the Pilipinas Live app.
Eala has looked every bit at home on Philippine soil, cruising through her opening matches without dropping a set.
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But Osorio presents a different challenge — one shaped by proven success on the WTA Tour.
Ranked world No. 84, the 24-year-old Colombian is a three-time WTA 250 champion, all of which came at the Copa Colsanitas in front of her home crowd in Bogota.
She has also reached the finals at the Tenerife Ladies Open in 2021 and the Monterrey Open in 2022, falling short only against Ann Li and Filipino-Canadian star Leylah Fernandez.
Osorio’s résumé includes a career-high ranking of No. 33 and a third-round appearance at Wimbledon in 2021, her deepest run in a Grand Slam tournament.
The Colombian booked her spot in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over Japan’s Mai Hontama, setting up a first-ever meeting with Eala.
Eala, meanwhile, sent a message of her own by dismantling Himeno Sakatsume, 6-4, 6-0, to punch her ticket to the last eight and keep her spotless run intact.
A win over Osorio would send the Filipina into the semifinals against either unseeded Lanlana Tararudee or third seed Solana Sierra.
(With reports from Pao Ambat)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]