Top seed Digvijay Singh and second-ranked AJ Lim dismantled their respective rivals to move within a victory of a highly anticipated championship showdown, anchoring a thrilling men’s singles semifinal picture as the P2-million Palawan Open 2026 reached a fever pitch at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Standing in the way of their projected collision, however, are two formidable contenders fresh off explosive quarterfinal performances Wednesday, promising fans a weekend of high-octane tennis action.

Battling through oppressive, blistering summer heat, Singh sustained his ruthless form.

The 6-foot-3 ace from Haryana — a multiple ITF World Tennis Tour champion and Davis Cup veteran — cruised past Jarell Edangga, 6-0, 1-0 (ret.), before smothering John Kendrick Bona, 6-1, 6-0, to claim the first Final Four slot and a shot at the top P300,000 purse.

Singh will next face No. 4 Christopher Papa of the US, setting up a highly-charged 4 p.m. Friday clash of power and style. Papa advanced by deflating local hopeful Arthur Pantino with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 triumph. Pantino had earlier injected drama into the tournament by outlasting India’s fifth-seeded Parth Aggarwal in a three-set quarterfinal thriller, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(6), but ultimately ran out of gas against Papa’s unrelenting power and superb court coverage.

The lower half of the 64-player draw promises equal theater. The multi-titled Lim thwarted a spirited challenge from Casey Alcantara, 6-3, 6-4, to book a 5 p.m. Friday semis duel with No. 3 Eric Jed Olivarez, who repulsed John Benedict Aguilar, 6-4, 6-1.

While Lim has historically dominated Olivarez — most recently at the Philta Men’s Open finals last month — the latter enters the match exuding confidence following a strong quarterfinal run in China last week.

It sets up a fascinating emotional battle between Lim’s psychological edge and Olivarez’s fierce determination to break the trend in the P2-million championship sanctioned by Philta and the Universal Tennis Ranking and sponsored by the Palawan Group of Companies.

The singles action takes a much-needed breather on Thursday, pivoting the spotlight to equally electrifying doubles and mixed doubles matches in the event presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, Gentry Timepieces and Bagong Pilipinas.

Over in the women’s singles, unranked veteran Marian Capadocia continued her fairytale, near-impeccable surge. After sending shockwaves with a 6-2, 6-3 reversal of No. 8 Althea Ong, the 30-year-old, 10-time PCA Open champion proved she can still trade blows with the country’s younger crop by pulling off a grueling 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 upset of No. 2 Stefi Aludo.

Capadocia initially caught Aludo off-guard, breaking her twice to take the opening set. Aludo roared back in the second, recovering from a 0-40 deficit in the eighth game to eventually force a deciding set.

Refusing to yield, Capadocia reasserted her mastery in the third, breaking Aludo early and securing a double-break for a 5-2 lead. Though Aludo broke back once, Capadocia broke right back to seal the match and book a semis date with No. 6 Louraine Jallorina, who outlasted Annika Diwa, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

On the other side of the women’s bracket, top seed Tennielle Madis had to dig deep to defuse a stubborn upset bid by Elizabeth Abarquez, 6-3, 6-4. Madis moved on to face No. 4 Kaye-Ann Emana, who drubbed Niña Alcala, 6-1, 6-3.

The intensity trickled over to the doubles events, maximizing the entertainment value for the roaring tennis crowd.