KNOWN as a methodical and well-organized people, German No. 1 seed Maria Tatjana gave top marks for how well the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open (PWO) was being run.
“It (the Philippine Women’s Open) is super nice. I think that everybody agrees with me that the tournament seems to have existed for years. It is so well-organized,” stressed Maria Tatjana late Tuesday night after subduing Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, in the women’s singles first round at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
“It is super, super good here. Everyone is super kind,” added the player, ranked No. 42 in the world, of being a recipient of the famed Fiilipino hospitality during the competition supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
A semifinalist in the 2022 Wimbledon, she also appreciated the local fans who have been coming in droves since the WTA 125 meet organized by the Philippine Tennis Association began last Monday.
“Of course, the crowd has been amazing from the first day. It (the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center) is completely full, which is why I think players like me find it nice to play here,” she added of the Filipino audience.
After being virtually taken to the limit in a marathon match that lasted two hours and 23 minutes, Tatjana acknowledged that, “I knew it was going to be a tough match because I have played her already a few times. She is a strong player, too.
“The conditions were also challenging because it was also humid, so we were both sweating a lot.”
In Manila for the first time, the well-traveled Paris Olympic Games veteran was hopeful of a deep run in the competition and was set to face Tatiana Prozorova of Russia on Wednesday for place in the quarterfinals.
Prozorova eliminated Filipina wild card bet Kaye Ann Emana, 6-1, 6-0, also on Tuesday night in the meet serving at the first undertaking of the National Sports Tourism-Interagency Committee led by PSC Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio in 2026.
