MANILA, Philippines - Chloe Mae Saraza provided the Easter Sunday stunner as she upended third seed Ma. Dominique Ong, 7-5, 4-6, 10-8, to barge into the quarterfinal round of the Palawan Pawnshop Regional age-group tennis tournament at the Brookside Hills Tennis Club in Cainta, Rizal yesterday.
Saraza outlasted Ong in the first frame, then bounced back from a second set defeat by wearing down her fancied rival in the decider to join top seed Maia Balce and No. 2 Andrea Nicole Amistad in the Last 8 of the girls’ 16-and-under class of the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop as part of its community service.
Balce dropped just three games to oust Moira Velicaria, 6-1, 6-2, while Amistad turned in a more impressive 6-0, 6-0 sweep of Gwyneth Bejer in the lower draw of the girls’ 16-and-under class.
Palawan Pawnshop, headed by COO Bobby Castro, has lined up a series of tournaments this summer to keep the youth busy and keep them in top form as part of their preparations for tougher competitions here and abroad.
Meanwhile, top ranked Mikaela Vicencio clipped Patricia Lim, 6-0, 6-2, to set a semis duel with Maxine Martin, who beat April Bentillo, 6-1, 6-4, in the girls’ 12-and-under division.
Top seed Diego Dayrit and No. 2 Jan Harold Trillanes stayed on collision course in the 10-unisex category.