Fil-Am Christopher Papa and Alberto Lim Jr. set up what could be a blockbuster finale even as Marian Capadocia continued her amazing winning run in the women’s division of the P2 million Palawan Open 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila.
The semis expectedly delivered high drama late Friday, but none matched the sheer theater of the fourth-ranked Papa’s grueling 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4) reversal over Indian top seed Digvijay Singh.
After splitting the first two sets via identical scorelines, Papa and Singh engaged in a brutal, baseline mano-a-mano in the deciding set which the Fil-Am took much to the delight of the Filipino fans.
While the Papa-Singh duel was tight and action-packed, the duel between Lim and longtime rival Eric Jed Olivarez was a breeze with the former prevailing 6-1, 6-3.
Riding the wave of a tough quarterfinal win over Casey Alcantara, the four-time PCA Open champion imposed his will instantly, racing to a 5-0 lead in the opening frame.
He then broke Olivarez in the opening game of the second set and ultimately sealed the match by breaking him again in an extended ninth-game duel, sealing a marquee clash with Papa for the P300,000 top purse on Sunday at 5 p.m.
The women’s finale, scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m., promises to be equally explosive, though both finalists booked their tickets in shockingly lopsided fashion.
Top seed Tennielle Madis and Capadocia both handed out masterclasses in the semis, dismantling their respective opponents by identical 6-0, 6-1 scorelines. Madis routed Kaye-Ann Emana, while Capadocia blasted past Louraine Jallorina.
These abbreviated victories grant both competitors extra recovery time for a highly anticipated rematch.
For the 18-year-old Madis, the finale is a chance to solidify her dominance after beating Capadocia in the Philta National Women’s Open semifinals last April en route to the crown.
However, the 30-year-old Capadocia, a 10-time PCA Open champion, is primed for redemption.
Meanwhile, action in the doubles division reaches fever pitch with three titles being disputed at press time. In the men’s division, the tandem of Papa and Alcantara are locked in a battle against Olivarez and Nilo Ledama.
Over in the women’s bracket, Madis and Aludo are clashing with the formidable Emana sisters, Kaye-Ann and Mica, while a star-studded mixed doubles championship is also underway, featuring Alcantara and Capadocia tangling with the powerhouse duo of Madis and Ronard Joven.
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