MANILA, Philippines – Top Filipino bet Albert "AJ" Lim Jr. continued to impress as he made short work of Indian fifth pick Parikshit Somani, 6-0, 6-1, to move on the cusp of topping the Ajay Pathak Memorial or the Division I the ITF 14-Under Development Championship at the Rizal Tennis Center.
A day after overpowering seventh-seeded Thai Charles Roberts, 6-2, 6-2, Lim, a 14-year-old Letran standout seeded No. 1 in this weeklong event being done in memory of the late Philta official, was even more merciless on this one after he totally outclassed Somani, who made it here by smashing Hong Kong's Lee Wai Leuk, 6-0, 6-4.
The emphatic win arranged Lim an expectedly tense duel with second pick Vorachon Rakpuangchon of Thailand, 6-2, 6-1 winner over No. 3 Sou Ming Chun Alan of Hong Kong, in tomorrow’s boys' finale.
And Lim hopes to extend of his amazing run of victories and end up winning this tournament right on this same venue where he also reigned supreme in a Grade Four ITF juniors tilt in November last year.
"It's going to be tough, but it’s really my goal to win here," said Lim, who is now coached by Manny Tecson, the same one who trained former ITF juniors top 10 player and former Davis Cupper Jeson Patrombon.
Indian No. 7 Himani Mor shook the leaderboard by pulling the rug from under No. 1 Tang Yutong of China, 6-3, 6-2.
Mor thus set up an interesting showdown with No. 6 Ren Jiaqi of China, who waylaid No. 4 Jang Eunse of Korea, 6-1, 6-0.
In doubles' action, Lim and Jan Godfrey Seno teamed up in downing the Hong Kong duo of Lee Wai Leuk and Filipino Jerome Romualdez, 6-2, 6-3, in Thursday's quarterfinals.
Another Phl bets John Bryan Otico and Arthur Pantino couldn't duplicate the feat of Lim and Seno after falling to the Korean tandem of Kim Jaewoo and Kim Hyunjoo, 3-6, 0-6.