Maricris leans on experience vs young foes

MANILA, Philippines - Maricris Fernandez makes her return to big-time tennis beginning today, hoping to use her experience against a bumper crop of younger rivals in the $10,000 Holcim/ITF Women’s Circuit Week I, which fires off at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Now 30 and a few pounds heavier, Fernandez is also banking on her power and a big fighting heart, which she displayed during her reign in local tennis as well as in Southeast Asia in the late 90s.

“I hope experience would be on my side and I think they have more to lose,” said the comebacking Los Angeles-based Fernandez, one of the four local players given wild card berths in the first of four international-flavored tournaments lined up this month.

Sisters Anna Christine and Anna Clarice Patrimonio, daughters of basketball legend Alvin Patrimonio, and Filipino-American Riza Zalameda are the three other Filipinas seeing action in today’s start of the main draw.

Meanwhile, Czarina Mae Arevalo easily disposed of Taiwanese Lee Pei-chi, 6-0, 6-1, yesterday to join the four other RP bets in the tournament proper sponsored by Holcim, PLDT/Smart, Phinma and the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund and backed by Tecnifibre Balls.