Patrimonio, Lehnert march to 2nd round

MANILA, Philippines - Ana Clarice Patrimonio and Fil-German Katharina Lehnert came through with big victories to advance to the second round of the PLDT-Smart International Tennis Federation Women’s Circuit at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

The 16-year-old Patrimonio, one of the four local wild cards, needed an extra set to turn back Indian qualifier Nimisha Mohan, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, while Lehnert trounced Japanese Yoko Naito, 6-1, 6-1.

Patrimonio hopes to keep her form as she faces Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yi, who beat Japan’s Misa Eguchi, 6-2, 6-1.

Lehnert, who reached the semis in last week’s tournament, takes on Ofri Lankri of Israel, who bounced back from a first-set loss to fashion out a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory over fourth seed Mari Inoue of Japan.

“I was a little bit relaxed and fresh today (yesterday),” said Lehnert, whose mother Imelda Lungsod is from Rosario, La Union. “It really helped that I didn’t have to go through the rigid qualifiers.”

Anna Christine Patrimonio, meanwhile, bowed to eighth seed Peangthan Pliphuech of Thailand, 0-6, 2-6, and crashed out early for the second straight week while another Phl bet Marinel Rudas yielded to Lee Hua Chen of Chinese Taipei, 3-6, 2-6.

Thai qualifier Luksika Kumkhum, who lost to Finland’s Piia Suomalainen in last week’s finals, came through with a 6-1, 6-1 rout of South Korea’s Kim Jung Eun while No. 3 Elodie Rogge-Dietrich of France turned back South Korea’s Han Na Lae, 6-1, 7-6(3).

Other first round winners were South Korea’s Kim Ju Young, No. 6 Yasmin Schnack of the US and Japan’s Tomoko Dokei.

Kim trounced American Ivana King, 6-1, 6-4, Schnack scored an impressive 6-0, 6-4 win over South Korea’s Chae Kyung Yee and Dokei hacked out a come-from-behind 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Liechtenstein’s Marina Novak.

The week-long event is presented by PLDT and Smart and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Slazenger Balls, Chris Sports, Viva Mineral Water, Powerade, Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils., Inc., and Century Park Hotel.