By Edwin Rollon
Top seed Tennielle Madis and early favorite AJ Lim made commanding starts to their respective campaigns as the main draw action of the 2026 Palawan Open co-presented by Gentry Timepieces went full blast Monday at the newly refurbished Tennis Center inside the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
The 23-year-old Madis, the top seed in the women’s division, dominated Althea Azores with a flawless 6-0, 6-0 victory, while Lim also cruised to a straight-set win against Adrian Cagitla as the national team standouts advanced to the second round of the P1-million tournament backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta).
“We’re just getting started. The competition will only get tougher in the next rounds, but I’m ready for the challenge,” said Madis, who impressed as a wild card entry in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 125 tournament last January.
Despite the dominant win, Madis admitted that the weather conditions were difficult.
“The weather was really hot. Even though my match started early, it was still very humid,” said the reigning Gentry Open champion.
Madis will next face the winner between Ave Maria Policarpio and Mikaela Vicencio.
Also advancing in the women’s division was Louraine Jallorina, who defeated Kaye Laurice Mustaza, 6-2, 6-3.
In the men’s division, Lim, seeded second behind world-ranked Indian campaigner Digvijay Pratap Singh, said he is determined to bounce back after falling short in the Gentry Open finals against Iggy Pantino.
“I’m more prepared and focused this time,” said Lim.
Pantino likewise lived up to expectations, advancing to the second round with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Marc Jaratam. Singh also stamped his class with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Ethan Cablitas.
