REIGNING UAAP MVP Kaye Emana is pumped to display her prowess in the qualifying round of the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open after topping the pre-qualifying tournament at the newly renovated Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
The UST Female Tennister took down NU’s Elizabeth Abarquez, 7-6(2), 6-2, to seal her berth in the preliminaries of the country’s first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 125 event set on Jan. 24 to 25 at the same venue.
“Sinabi ko po sa sarili ko na ilalaban ko po and hindi ko po dapat ibigay para ‘di na po ako mapagod, need na tapusin agad,” Emana told The Flame.
(“I told myself that I had to fight for it and not give it up so I wouldn’t get tired—I needed to finish it right away.”)
“After our close battle in the first set, her game changed and I just took advantage of her frustration,” she added.
After earning national ranking points, Emana admitted feeling a mix of joy and pressure. However, she remains determined to test her mettle against world-ranked players.
“Happy, excited, with a little pressure… [I’m] super ready, especially since I was able to practice during the pre-qualifying [round] and the training continues until game day,” the 20-year-old said.
Before advancing to the slot clincher, Emana booted out Philippine No. 3 Tiffany Nocos, 6-4, 6-4, in the semifinals and Joanna Peña in the opening round, 6-2, 6-1.
Fellow Thomasian Justine Maneja, however, fell in the first round to Southeast Asian (SEA) Games bronze medalist Stefi Aludo, 6-4, 6-0.
Emana, who is set to enter UAAP Season 88 as a champion, said her offseason experience has boosted her confidence, taking her game to a higher level.
“It’s a big boost, especially for practicing my hits and I get to learn a lot of things that I can bring in the UAAP,” she said.
“I’ll just play my game and enjoy it, since it’s my first time in the WTA.”
Emana also expressed excitement about potentially competing alongside Filipina ace and world No. 49 Alex Eala, whose participation remains uncertain due to her Australian Open campaign, which runs from Jan. 18 to Feb. 1.
“[I’m] inspired because I watch her past games and she is really good, especially if I get to play alongside her and represent the same country,” she said.
The Philippine Women’s Open main draw, scheduled from Jan. 26 to 31, is expected to feature top WTA players, including No. 42 Tatjana Maria of Germany, No. 43 Xinyu Wang of China, No. 64 Solana Sierra of Argentina and No. 70 Donna Vekic of Croatia.
Rising star Tennielle Madis was also awarded a wildcard slot in the main draw. F
