Amistad, Santiago reach First Gen semis

MANILA, Philippines - Second seed Andrea Amistad waylaid Danica Bautista, 6-0, 6-2, while Frances Santiago pulled off a 6-4, 3-2(ret.) win over No. 4 Colleen Sioson to set up a semifinal clash in the girls’ 16-and-under class of the First Gen Juntaphil Metro Age Group Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Top seed Roxanne Resma and No. 3 Khim Iglupas were battling it out with Steffi Del Rosario and Catherine Zamora, respectively, at presstime for the two other semis seats in the Group I tournament presented by First Gen Corporation and sponsored by Smart Communications.

In girls’ 12-U division, top seed Rafa Villanueva swept past Denise Bernardo, 6-0, 6-0, to advance to the Final Four against No. 4 Mikaela Vicencio, who stunned sixth seed Anya Fuentes, 6-0, 6-1, while Alex Eala, who stunned second seed Blanche Lagrisola the other day, sustained her form and booted out Erika Manalo, 6-0, 6-1, to set up a duel with third seed Bettina Bautista, who defeated Maxine Martin, 6-1, 6-2. 

Matches in the girls’ 18-U quarters were halted due to rains late Wednesday. Vying for the semis berths are top seed Samanta Coyiuto vs Gladys Dimaculangan, No. 2 Ma. Angela Sunga vs Anne Margaret Cabrera, third seed Joy Yuen vs Patricia Paez and No. 4 Resma vs Isabella Mendoza.

Top seed defending champion Dheo Talatayod, meanwhile, overwhelmed Ralco dela Paz, 6-1, 6-3, to lead the quarterfinal cast in the boys’ 18-u class of the event backed by Technifibre as official ball, and RCBC, Pet One, Brother Sewing Machines and conducted by Juntaphil.

Others who advanced were Juan Opulencia, a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Emir Cariga; Vernon Huibonhoa, who clobbered Daniel Calugcug, 6-1, 6-0; Arc Dolorito, who saw off Enrique Ferrer, 6-1, 6-2; and Joel Cabusas, who upset No. 8 Jed Olivarez, 6-4, 6-4.

In the 10-unisex, Karl Philip Miguel, who beat second seed Hiromasa Ishikawa last Wednesday, added No. 7 Jan Harold Trillanes to his list of victims as the incoming Grade 4 student from Laoag, Ilocos Norte pulled off a 5-3, 4-2 win to arrange a semis duel with No. 6 Ryotaro Shimomura, who downed Diego Dayrit, 4-2, 4-1.

Top seed and titleholder Michael Eala beat Miles Vitaliano, 4-1, 4-0, to clinch the other semis slot against Aljohn Talatayod, who crushed Juan Jugo, 4-2, 4-1.