MANILA, Philippines - Alberto Lim Jr., an incoming high school freshman at the University of the East, rallied from an opening game setback to shock top seed Rogelio Estanio, 3-6, 6-1, 10-7, in the 18-year-old division of the Head-Smart tennis tournament recently.
Lim, 12, stunned his rival with his booming forehand winners that impressed the crowd at the Meralco tennis courts in Pasig.
“My opponent is a seasoned player in the higher age group but determination and rigorous training helped me win the match,” said Lim, who is training under former junior standout and now UE coach Numero Lim.
It was the second 18-year-old title for Lim after completing a golden double – 18 and 16-under titles – in the recent Milo Technifibre tournament.
Jerome Romualdez, on the other hand, took the 12-under-crown with a 6-2, 6-0 rout of Michael Eala.
Romualdez, an incoming sixth grader at Xavier School, also credited his victory to rigid training, hard work and dedication.
Lim and Romualdez also hope to do well in the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl in the US.