Iglupas, Miguel pull off First Gen reversals

MANILA, Philippines - Khim Iglupas and Karl Philip Miguel came away with big victories over separate fancied rivals to advance in their respective divisions in the fifth First Gen Juntaphil Metro Age Group Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Iglupas, 13, showed up Rafa Villanueva in the girls’ 14-and-under quarterfinals with a solid baseline game, breaking the second seeded bet once in the opening set before reasserting her might in the second to complete a 6-4, 6-2 victory.

She crashed into the Final Four featuring the other top three seeds, including No. 1 Colleen Sioson, who trampled Celine Zamora, 6-0, 6-1, to set up a duel with third seed Frances Santiago, who scored a walkover win over Janelle Videz.

Iglupas goes for a finals berth against fourth seed Nicole Amistad, who likewise posted an easy 6-0, 6-0 rout over Alexis Bangayan in the Group I tournament presented by First Gen Corporation and sponsored by Smart Communications.

Miguel, on the other hand, surprised second seed HIromasa Ishikawa, 4-1, 4-1, to barge into the quarterfinal round of the 10-unisex division headed by top seed defending champion Michael Eala, third seed Diego Dayrit, No. 4 Juan Jugo, No. 5 Aljohn Talatayod, No. 7 Jan Trillanes, No. 6 Ryotaro Shimomura and Miles Vitaliano.

Alex Eala also scored a big upset in the girls’ 12-U category of the event, backed by Technifibre as official ball, and RCBC, Pet One, Brother Sewing Machines and conducted by Juntaphil, as she disposed of second seed Blanche Lagrisola, 6-2, 6-1, to reach the quarters along with top seed Villanueva, Denise Bernardo, Mikaela Vicencio, Anya Fuentes, Maxine Martin, Bettina Bautista and Erika Manalo.

In girls’ 16-U class, Santiago downed Patricia Paez, 6-2, 6-1, to reach the Last 8.