Zoleta fuels fancied bets charge in PCA Open

Favorites Bambi Zoleta, Michelle Pang and Czarina Mae Arevalo came through with straight-set victories over their respective rivals to sail into the next round in the 2008 Philippine Columbian Association Open at the PCA shell courts in Plaza Dilao in Paco, Manila yesterday.

The top seeded Zoleta clipped Alyssa Calejo, 6-2, 6-2; second pick Pang booted out qualifier Macy Solon, 6-0, 6-2; while Arevalo slammed Nikki de Dios, 6-0, 6-1, to lead the march of the fancied bets in the ladies side of the event presented by Cebuana Lhuillier and backed by The STAR.

The 17-year-old Zoleta is out to score a breakthrough win in the annual event which stakes P100,000 and P50,000 to the men’s and women’s champions, respectively.

“I hope I could sustain my form and get better in the coming days,” said Zoleta, who lost to Arevalo, a four-time winner here, in last year’s semifinals.

No. 4 Aileen Rogan, No. 7 Trudy Amoranto and No. 8 Jessica Agra also advanced along with sisters Anna Christine and Anna Clarice Patrimonio.

Rogan blasted Patricia Orteza, 6-0, 6-1; Amoranto trounced Akiko de Guzman, 6-3, 6-2; and Agra won via default over fellow junior campaigner Regina Santiago.

Clarice Patrimonio, who celebrated her 15th birthday yesterday, made it through as early as Monday by clobbering Enah Baba, 6-1, 6-3; while Christine Patrimonio overwhelmed Shirley Valler, 6-0, 6-1.

Zoleta, meanwhile, resumes her title campaign against Jasmine Tan Ho, who downed Ivy de Castro, 6-2, 6-1; while Pang faces qualifier Len Len Santos, who edged Chika Yasuda, 7-6 (8), 6-1.

Arevalo squares off with Jennelyn Magpayo, who won over Enah Kawabata, 6-4, 7-6 (2).

Clarice Patrimonio mixes it up with Amoranto while elder sister Christine, who reached the second round in the PLDT-Smart Women’s ITF Circuit at the Rizal Tennis Center last week, takes on Agra in an interesting duel between the country’s top lady junior netters.

In other results, Nikki Manalo, Thailand’s Thasha Vitayviroj, Tamitha Nguyen and Shannin Olivarez won over Ami Fukui, 6-4, 6-1; former Federation Cup veteran Tracy Santos, 6-1, 6-2; Angel Wegmann, 6-1, 6-3; and Sherry Rose Ong, 6-3, 6-1, respectively. – Joey Villar