Alex Eala falls to Camila Osorio in Philippine Women’s Open Quarterfinals

Home favourite Alex Eala bowed out of the Philippine Women's Open on Thursday, falling to Colombia's Camila Osorio in a hard-fought quarter-final at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The 6-4, 6-4 defeat brought an end to Eala’s much-anticipated professional debut on home soil.

"Of course it's added pressure playing at home, but it's nothing compared to the pressures that regular everday Filipinos have to face providing for their families."Eala told the crowd earlier in the week.

"It's a full-circle moment to see how far tennis has come in the Philippines."

Straight sets battle

The match was a clinical display from the fifth-seeded Osorio, who utilised her experience as a three-time tour winner to stifle Eala’s aggressive baseline play.

Eala had reached the quarter-finals following dominant wins over Russia’s Alina Charaeva and Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume. Against Osorio, however, the Filipina struggled to find the same rhythm, though she remained competitive until the final point of the contest.

UAE-bound for Abu Dhabi Open

Eala’s focus now shifts immediately to the Middle East. The Filipina sensation is set to fly to the United Arab Emirates for the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, which runs from 1 to 7 February.