Olivarez sparkles in China netfest

MANILA, Philippines —  Eric Jed Olivarez is hitting peak form ahead of the highly anticipated inaugural Palawan Open 2026, battling through a grueling qualifying campaign to secure a quarterfinal berth in the M15 Luan Jian An Open in China.

Olivarez displayed immense grit, outlasting ATP-ranked opponents in three consecutive qualifying matches to reach the main draw. He opened his bid by upsetting Japan’s No. 13 seed Yua Taka, 7-6(5), 7-5, before dominating local favorite Xirui Han, 6-3, 6-4. In the final qualifying round, Olivarez showed superb poise, out-steadying Japanese No. 8 seed Shu Muto in a thrilling 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 showdown.

Carrying that momentum into the tournament proper, the 28-year-old Filipino swept the first four games in the Round of 16 against China’s Xiaofei Wang before the latter retired, setting up a tough quarterfinal showdown with Japan’s Kosuke Ogura. More importantly, it served notice of his readiness to not just compete, but strongly contend for the upcoming local crown.