Despite their growing experience on the international stage, Filipina doubles partners Tennielle Madis and Stefi Marithe Aludo discovered that the Philippine Women’s Open presented a far more demanding challenge.
The Southeast Asian Games bronze medalists bowed out of the WTA 125 tournament after a 2-6, 2-6 loss to Japanese veterans Kanako Morisaki and Manu Ayukawa on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Madis and Aludo, champions of last year’s PCA Open women’s doubles, struggled to find their rhythm under the bright afternoon sun and were overpowered in just 58 minutes.
![Win or lose, lessons were learned. Madis and Aludo reflect on their Philippine Women’s Open journey. [PSC photo]](http://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot_611.png)
Both teenagers admitted afterward that the pace, consistency, and pressure applied by their opponents exceeded anything they had previously encountered against foreign pairs.
Young Pinays absorb lessons at WTA level
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Madis said the level of play in a WTA tournament demanded relentless focus, with every point contested at full intensity.
She noted that unlike regional competitions, rallies rarely broke down due to unforced errors, forcing them to remain mentally and physically engaged throughout each exchange.
Aludo echoed the sentiment, sharing that their coach had urged them to battle through every rally despite the disparity in experience and firepower.
Both players emphasized that the match, while lopsided on the scoreboard, offered valuable insight into the technical and tactical demands of elite-level doubles.
Tournament sees major shifts in singles draw
While the local doubles campaign ended early, the singles competition was shaken by a major upset as German top seed Tatjana Maria suffered a surprise straight-sets loss to Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova.
Prozorova prevailed 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 in a tense encounter, abruptly halting Maria’s bid for a deep run in Manila.
Elsewhere, Colombian fifth seed Camila Osorio recovered from a second-set stumble to defeat Japan’s Mai Hontama 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 and secure a quarterfinal berth.
Fourth seed Donna Vekic of Croatia cruised past Russia’s Maria Tkacheva, while Belgian Sofia Costoulas and Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee also advanced to the last eight of the tournament supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.