Pinays succumb to foreign foes

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines’ Patricia Jay Orteza, Marian Jane Capadocia and Fil-Am Tamitha Nguyen bowed to tough foreign opposition and dropped out of the rain-delayed first round of Phinma Juniors International’s Week 1 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Orteza put up gutsy stand against Thai Nahathnai Khuntaket but wavered in the end, absorbing a 6-3, 4-6, 4-6 defeat while Capadocia and Nguyen took stinging straight-set setbacks to top seed Yuki Ito, 2-6, 1-6, and Chinese qualifier Xhao Qiangian, 1-6, 0-6, respectively.

The losses left sisters Anna Christine and Anna Clarice Patrimonio as the remaining RP hopefuls in the two-week long event sponsored by Phinma Group of Companies and backed by Tecnifibre Balls, Powerade, Viva Mineral Water, Century Park Hotel and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Unheralded Belgian Justin de Sutter pulled off the biggest upset in the day, bundling out fourth seed Egyptian Rana Sherif Ahmed, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0.