Victorino, Abadia book semis berths in National Open tennis

SUBIC – Top seed Joseph Victorino boosted his title defense in the Coca-Cola National Open Tennis Championships with a 6-2, 6-1 quarterfinal victory over sixth seed Alexander Lazaro yesterday at the Subic Bay International Tennis Center Indoor courts here.

Victorino, the 2002 PCA Open champion and Philta Open winner last month, will meet fellow national and fourth seed Rolando Ruel Jr., who scored a 7-5, 6-2 win over No. 8 Michael Mora III.

Second seed and Philta Open runner-up Adelo Abadia also earned a semifinal berth after beating former RP Davis Cupper and now tennis center administrator Beeyong Sison, 7-5, 6-2.

Abadia, a regular Davis Cup campaigner, will face third seed Johnny Arcilla, a 6-0, 6-1 winner over Zamboanga del Norte pride Rocky Paglalunan.

In the women’s singles, top-ranked Ana Patricia Santos stamped her class over seventh seed Petrona Bantay, 6-1, 6-0, to advance in the semifinals of this Philta-sanctioned Group A event sponsored by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Felicito Payumo, Union Bank, PLDT, Dunlop-Slazenger, Wilson Sports and Penn, the official ball.

Santos, the Philta Open champion, will shoot for a final slot against College of St. Benilde player Deena Rose Cruz, who blasted Marietta Erorita, 6-0, 6-0.

Second seed Alyssa Labay of Bacolod City defeated sixth seed Ivy de Castro, 6-2, 6-4, to forge a semifinal showdown with third seed Bien Zoleta of Lucena City, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over No. 8 Josephine Paguyo.

The top-seeded pair of De Castro and Labay downed third seeds Cruz and Bantay, 6-2, 6-3, to advance in the final.

The second final slot will be disputed by second seeds Santos and Aileen Rogan, who survived Divine Escala and Paguyo, 7-5, 7-6 (4), and Ara Micayabas and Zoleta, who won by default.