Philippine Tennis Association - Philta

Alex Eala keeps her Birmingham Classic campaign alive. 🎾🇵🇭

The Filipina tennis star advanced to the semifinals after a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the quarterfinals.

Up next, Alex faces Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova for a spot in the championship match.

🇵🇭 Alex Eala vs 🇨🇭 Rebeka Masarova
🎾 Birmingham Classic – Women’s Singles Semifinal
🕕 6:00 PM (PH Time)

Good luck, Alex! 🇵🇭💪

Eala wins SEA battle with Sawangkaew, to face Masarova in Birmingham semifinals

Alex Eala is through to the Lexus Birmingham Open semifinals after defeating Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, 6-3 6-2.

The 21 year-old Filipino will next face Rebecca Masarova of Switzerland, (world No. 132) in the semifinal round. The match is scheduled first on Center Court on Saturday.

Eala defeated Masarova in their only previous meeting at the ITF event in Trnava, Slovakia in February last year.

The Eala-Masarova match will begin at 11 AM UK time (6PM Manila time) and will be streamed live on WTA Unlocked.

(Screenshot from WTA)
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Alex Eala powers into the last eight in Birmingham. 🌱🎾

After a strong Round of 16 win, Alex advances to the Birmingham Classic quarterfinals, where she will face Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand.

🇵🇭 Alex Eala vs 🇹🇭 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
🗓 June 5, 2026
🕙 10:00 PM (PH Time)
Match time subject to change.

Laban, Alex! 🇵🇭

Eala marches into Birmingham QF, sets up clash with SEAster Sawangkaew

Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala is into the quarterfinals of the Lexus Birmingham Open after defeating Alina Charaeva, 6-2 7-5.

Eala cruised through the opening set but Charaeva found her rhythm in the second to go up 5-2. The momentum however, did not last, as Eala fought back and strung together five straight games to secure the victory.

The win sets up a quarterfinal clash with qualifier Manachaya Sawangkaew of Thailand. Both Eala and Sawangkaew were part a historic group of four Southeast Asian players who competed in the 2026 Australian Open.

Eala and Sawangkaew's last encounter was the women's gold medal match at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last December, which Eala won in straight sets.

The Lexus Birmingham Open will run until June 7, and matches are streamed live on WTA Unlocked.

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Top junior tennis players to clash in Olivarez Juniors Singles Finals

The country's top juniors are set to clash tomorrow for the age group titles of the Dr. Pablo Olivarez Juniors Championships.

Eight titles will be contested across the girls' and boys' 12-and-under, 14-and-under, 16-and-under and 18-and-under categories.

It will be a busy day for Jasmine Solis (national No. 28 in 14U and No. 49 in 16U) as she is scheduled to compete in the finals of both categories. At 8AM, Solis will face fifth seed Carolina Fandino in the 14U category, followed by a 10AM clash with 16U top seed Ava Banson.

The seeds in other categories also held true for most of the tournament. In the boys' 12U division, the top two seeds Joaquin Cebastian Dacyon and Noel Andre Zachary will duke it out at 11AM.

In the girls division, 18U top seed Jhane Frances Ilagan will meet second seed Jasmine Sardona at 8AM, while 12U top seed Jaynelle Dania Castro will meet second seed Margaret Audrey Abacan at 10AM.

BOYS' SCHEDULE

9AM
(16-under) Vivaan Garg (3) vs Jairo Zeeplin Flores

(14-under) Tyronne Grey Caro (1) vs Yuan Andrei Torrente (3)

11AM
(12-under) Joaquin Cebastian Dacyon (1) vs Noel Andre Zachary Zoleta (2)

(18-under)
Julio Ynigo Naredo (2) vs Karl Fitzmichael Almiron (8)

GIRLS' SCHEDULE

8AM
(14-under) Jasmine Xyril Solis (4) vs Carolina Fandino (5)

(18-under) Jhane Frances Ilagan (1) vs Jasmine Sardona (2)

10AM
(12-under) Jaynelle Dania Castro (1) vs Margaret Audrey Abacan (2)

(16-under) Jasmine Solis (3) vs Ava Banson (1)

The event is being held on the clay courts of the Olivares Sports Center and the Paranaque Tennis Courts. The tournament is a PHILTA Group 2 competition where junior players earn points towards their national rankings.

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INTO THE QUARTERFINALS! 🌱🇵🇭

eala continues her strong Birmingham Classic campaign, overcoming Alina Charaeva in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, to advance to the quarterfinals.

After taking the opening set comfortably, Alex showed composure in a tightly contested second set to seal the victory and keep her grass-court run alive.

On to the next round. Laban, Alex! 💪🇵🇭

RoadToTheQuarterfinals

Eala-Charaeva match is now live on WTA Unlocked

Go to their website, create an account and watch WTA 125 matches for free.

https://www.wtatennis.com/tournaments/1126/birmingham-125/2026/live

A BOLD VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF SPORTS IN TALISAY!

A transformative new chapter for Negros Occidental is taking shape as the city works closely with the Philippine Sports Commission to establish a National Training Center featuring facilities for baseball, gymnastics, tennis and archery.

The proposed more than 30,000 sqm or 3 hectares Antonio Ledesma Sports Center, named in honor of the late Antonio Ledesma and spearheaded by his son Sebastian Ledesma, a former DLSU UAAP Baseball champion, is envisioned as a premier hub for athlete development, coach education, and grassroots sports programs—creating opportunities for future generations of champions.

This landmark project aims to elevate Talisay onto the national and international sports stage. | via Shiela Salaysay, bnc.ph

Alex Eala returns to singles action in Birmingham. 🌱🎾

After a strong Round of 32 win, Alex moves on to face Alina Charaeva in the Round of 16 of the Birmingham Classic.

📅 June 4, 2026
🕡 6:40 PM
Match time subject to change.

Laban, Alex! 🇵🇭

Eala, Charaeva clash today in Birmingham
Eala into main draw of Queens Club Championships

The rematch between the Philippines' Alex Eala and Alina Charaeva at the Lexus Birmingham Open is scheduled as the second match today on Center Court, beginning not before 11:30AM UK time (6:30PM Manila time).

Eala beat Charaeva in straight sets, 6-1 6-2, last January at the historic WTA 125 event Philippine Women's Open. That win evened their head-to-head record, with Charaeva winning their first encounter back in 2020 at the ITF event in Melilla, Spain, 6-3 6-3.

Meanwhile, Eala has taken the last spot in the main draw of the HSBC Championships in London, with a ranking of world No. 42 at the time of entry. She was previously listed in the qualifying round of the Queens Club Championships, which will run from June 8-14, right after the conclusion of the Birmingham Open.

(Screenshots from WTA Birmingham Open, HSBC Championships websites)
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