Three Cebu players one win away from main draw of Cebuana Lhuillier net

CEBU, Philippines - Three Cebuanos and a Manileño moved one step away from making it to the main draw after dispatching separate opponents in the qualifying round of the 4th Cebuana Lhuillier Men’s Open Tennis Championships yesterday at the Baseline tennis courts.

Franklin Encarnacion, Bryan Kintanar, and Edwin Bacarisas of Cebu and John Alfitchie of Manila are all primed up to join the 32-man showdown that is the highlight of the week-long event.

Encarnacion dumped Isidro Jose Paypa, 8-1, Kintanar slammed Dodong Paypa, 8-1, while Bacarisas overpowered RJ Alforque, 8-2.

Alfitchie, on the other hand, also posted an 8-2 demolition of Joseph Mar Sierra. Alfitchie will face next Kintanar, while Encarnacion takes on Bacarisas.

Veteran Roy Tabotabo and Warren Alivio are also in contention to barge into the 32-man draw after winning their first assignments. Tabotabo nipped Wilson Geromo, 8-2, while Alivio scrapped through a 8-7 victory over Jedree Tan.

The likes of Amiel Aya-ay, Julius Abellar, Alfer Ruwaya, Ryan Montalbo, John Ledesma and Lowell Llyod Cañete are also hoping to make it to the next round, which will start tomorrow.

Only four qualifiers will get into the main draw as organizers decided to allocate four wild cards, while the rest are given direct acceptance, according to tournament referee Godfrey Callao.

The wild card entries are Calvin Canlas, Leo Laping, Marawi’s Mahmmod Armama and Bacolod’s Toto Dazo.

Junior Davis Cuppers Jurence Mendoza and Kyle Joseph joined their Cebuano teammate Jacob Lagman in the main draw after being directly accepted by the tournament officials. (FREEMAN)