UAAP Season 87 Tennis MVP Kaye Ann Emana of the University of Santo Tomas booked a place in the Philippine Women’s Open qualifying draw with a straight-sets victory on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila. Emana outlasted National University’s Elizabeth Abarquez, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, to claim the coveted wild card berth.

The match extended their growing rivalry, a rematch of last season’s UAAP women’s tennis finals. Emana’s composure and shot variation proved decisive as she gradually imposed control after a tightly contested opening set.

Abarquez matched Emana early and pushed the first set to a tiebreak after 12 games. Emana recovered from a 0-2 deficit and surged ahead 3-0 in the breaker, shifting momentum firmly in her favor.

Grit carries Emana through key moments

The UST standout credited her mindset for the comeback in the opening set. She remained aggressive despite early errors and capitalized on Abarquez’s mounting frustration in the extended exchanges.

Emana’s confidence grew in the second set, where she raced to a 5-1 lead and limited her opponent’s opportunities. The Belarusian-born netter closed the match with authority to seal her qualification.

Momentum builds toward WTA 125 Manila

Emana’s victory came less than 24 hours after she completed a rain-interrupted semifinal win over top seed Tiffany Nocos. She overturned a 1-4 deficit in the second set to prevail 6-4, 6-4 and advance to the final qualifier.

The qualifying rounds of the Philippine Women’s Open will be held Jan. 24 to 25, with the main draw opening Jan. 26 as the country hosts its first WTA 125 event.