Zalameda pulls thru but 4 locals succumb

MANILA, Philippines - Fil-Am Riza Zalameda dominated unseeded Thai Sophia Mulsap, 6-2, 6-3, yesterday but four local bets suffered stinging setbacks and crashed out of the PLDT-Smart ITF Women’s Circuit Week 2 at the Rizal Tennis Center.

Zalameda, who teamed up with fellow Fil-Am Eric Taino to bag the silver medal in the mixed doubles of the 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games, used a combination of shots to dispose of Mulsap and arrange a second round meeting with Han Nae Lae.

The Korean bet pulled off a stunning upset win over sixth seed He Chun Yan of China, 2-6, 6-0, 6-1, in the other contest.

But while Zalameda breezed through, Czarina Mae Arevalo, Bambi Zoleta and sisters Anna Christine and Anna Clarice Patrimonio were swept by the tough foreign opposition in the $10,000 tournament sponsored by PLDT/Smart, Holcim, Phinma and the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund.

Arevalo, the country’s former No. 1, dragged seventh pick Han Sung Hee of Korea into a deciding set but lost steam, 3-6, 6-2, 1-6, while fellow qualifier Zoleta struggled against Korean You Jun Hae and took a 0-6, 2-6 beating.

The Patrimonios, recipients of wild card berths, also took the early exit with Anna Christine falling to Chinese Taipei’s Juan Ting Fei, 2-6, 1-6, and Anna Clarice dropping a 3-6, 2-6 setback to Ivana King of the US.

Zalameda trailed 1-3 in the opening set, but flashed some kind of resiliency to win the next five games.

The University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) student held her serve in the second set then broke Mulsap twice to fashion out the win in a big rebound to her first-round loss in Week 1 of the circuit.

Zalameda is using the event as part of her buildup for next month’s Southeast Asian Games in Laos where she hopes to duplicate her one-gold, two-bronze haul in the 2005 Manila meet.    – Joey Villar