MANILA—Alex Eala electrified the home crowd on Monday, January 26 delivering a masterclass performance to sweep Russia’s Alina Charaeva, 6-1, 6-2, in the opening round of the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open in Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila. 

The Filipina sensation wasted no time asserting her dominance, dismantling Charaeva’s defense with precision strikes to take the first set in lopsided fashion. 

Playing with the poise of a seasoned veteran and the fire of a local icon, Eala proved exactly why she is the country's premier tennis star, needing just 76 minutes to secure her clinical victory.

The match reached a fever pitch in the second set when Eala flipped the script on a momentary lapse. After falling into an early 0-2 hole, she ignited a six-game scoring blitz, effectively shutting out Charaeva to close the door on any comeback hopes. 

The Manila crowd rose in a deafening standing ovation as Eala sealed the win, punctuating a roaring debut that set a high bar for the rest of the tournament.

Catch all updates about the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open 2026 from January 26-31, 2026 on UNTV Sports and UNTV News and Rescue.

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