Camille Naredo

Kaye Ann Emana of UST in UAAP Season 87. UAAP Media/File

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UAAP Season 87

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768631579282UAAP S87 Women&#x27;s Tennis - Kaye Emana-04264.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Kaye Ann Emana of UST in UAAP Season 87. UAAP Media/File" width="960"/>Kaye Ann Emana of UST in UAAP Season 87. UAAP Media/File</div>MANILA -- Kaye Ann Emana, a former UAAP Most Valuable Player from the University of Santo Tomas, has booked a ticket to the qualifying draw of the Philippine Women&#x27;s Open. This, after Emana outplayed rival Elizabeth Abarquez of National University, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 last Wednesday night at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/1/11/rizal-memorial-tennis-center-set-to-undergo-testing-ahead-of-ph-women-s-open-2035">READ: Rizal Memorial Tennis Center set to undergo testing ahead of PH Women&#x27;s Open</a></div>Emana, the co-MVP in UAAP Season 87, reasserted her mastery over Abarquez with another straight-set triumph, reprising their clash in the UAAP women&#x27;s tennis tournament finals last year. She got the job done on an hour&#x27;s rest, after completing a 6-4, 6-4 conquest of top seed Tiffany Nocos in the semifinals. Their match had been suspended the previous night following the first set due to heavy rain.When play resumed late yesterday afternoon, Emana showed grit in rallying from a 1-4 second-set deficit to win the next five games and set up a showdown with Abarquez for the coveted wild card ticket.&quot;Thankful po ako and excited to get the wild card (for the Philippine Women&#x27;s Open qualifying draw). At kinakabahan din po kasi first time kong makakalaban ang mga mas magagaling na player doon sa qualifying round,&quot; said Emana.She credited her strong mindset in recovering from a 0-2 deficit in the first set against Abarquez to force the tie-breaker after they wound up deadlocked at 6-all after 12 games. &quot;Up and down ang laro ko po sa first set kaya nag-take advantage na lang po ako ng mukhang na-frustrate na siya, lalo sa tiebreaker when I took a 3-0 lead,&quot; Emana said of the turning point in the match. Gaining confidence with each shot in the second set, the player  was in complete control, surging to an imposing 5-1 lead against her demoralized foe on the way to sealing her slot in the qualifying round of the Philippine Women&#x27;s Open.Abarquez acknowledged that she was flustered by her foe&#x27;s deceptive and unpredictable switching of shots that disrupted her game.&quot;Deceptive po ang mga shots niya (Emana). Akala ko malayo tapos malapit sa net babagsak yung bola. Hindi ako makaporma talaga,&quot; admitted Abarquez.Both players noted the marked improvement of the playing conditions on the resurfaced hard courts with more than a week to go before the start of the country&#x27;s first WTA 125 tournament sanctioned by the Women&#x27;s Tennis Association.     The qualifying draw will be staged Jan. 24 to 25 before the main draw kicks off on Jan. 26.

Kaye Ann Emana, a former UAAP Most Valuable Player from the University of Santo Tomas, has booked a ticket to the qualifying draw of the Philippine Women's Open.

Kaye Ann Emana, a former UAAP Most Valuable Player from the University of Santo Tomas, has booked a ticket to the qualifying draw of the Philippine Women's Open.

Tennis: Former UAAP MVP Kaye Emana claims wildcard to PH Women's Open qualifying draw

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Tennis: Former UAAP MVP Kaye Emana claims wildcard to PH Women's Open qualifying draw

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 17, 2026 02:35 PM PHT

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