Capadocia dismantles Ong

MANILA, Philippines — Ten-time PCA Open champion Marian Capadocia proved that pedigree outweighs rankings by dismantling eighth seed Althea Ong, 6-2, 6-3, to secure a quarterfinal berth in the Palawan Open 2026 yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The 30-year-old veteran, coming off a dominant opening-round 6-1, 6-1 win against wild card Judy Ann Padilla, outmaneuvered her younger opponent in the blistering summer heat.

However, a tough test awaits the veteran campaigner in second seed Stefi Aludo in a marquee quarterfinal matchup in the P2 million tournament.

Aludo dominated Princess Tana, 6-0, 6-0, before securing a walkover win over Mica Emana.

Sharing the spotlight in the women’s division is La Salle’s Annika Diwa, who stunned third seed Tiffany Nocos in a thrilling opener, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Diwa maintained her momentum by turning back Joanna Peña, 6-3, 6-4, to crash the quarterfinal party. She now awaits the winner of the ongoing duel between Louraine Jallorina and Akshita Antil.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, top-seeded favorites held their ground amidst oppressive conditions.