Mitsubishi junior netfest spawning ground of stars

The 16th edition of the Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior netfest unfolds next week with hopes of producing another Andy Roddick or Lleyton Hewitt in the making.

"We’re very proud that the world’s current tennis stars had, sometime in the past, been a part and parcel of this annual tennis tournament for the youth. We hope to do it again this year," said Froilan Dytianquin, Mitsubishi Motors’ assistant vice president for Marketing Services, in the PSA Forum yesterday at the Manila Pavilion, where he was joined by fellow Mitsubishi official Arlan Antonio.

Roddick, the current golden boy of American tennis, and Hewitt, the world’s former no. 1, once reigned in the meet during the early 90s at a time when they were still struggling junior players in the circuit.

The possibility of seeing future tennis stars in the flesh present itself again at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center when boys and girls from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, Korea, United States, among others, start competing against each other from March 28 to April 3.

Of course, hopes are also high on the Filipino bets who have not won in the tournament since Maricris Fernandez stroked her way to the title in 1995.

"This is not only a chance for our local tennis players to be given the exposure they needed, but also an opportunity to slug it out with the best in the world," added Dytianquin in the session sponsored by Red Bull, Supermax, Circure and PAGCOR.

Now categorized as a Group 1 International Tennis Federation tournament, the event ranks as the highest Group 1 meet in Asia today, higher than those being held in tennis-crazy countries like Thailand, Japan and Malaysia.