MANILA, Philippines - Siblings Miko and Alex Eala dominated their respective age-group divisions to rule the second leg of the Little Mo International tennis tournament at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York recently.
Miko celebrated his 11th birthday with a 6-1, 6-1 rout of his American rival as he copped the boys’ 11-year-old crown.
“I really wanted to win because it was my birthday and it means that I still have a chance of winning the Grand Slam in December,†said Miko.
Alex, for her part, topped the girls’ 8-year-old category, blasting her Egyptian rival, 6-0, 6-0, in the finals.
“I am so happy that I won again. This is my biggest trophy so far. I will practice even harder so I can win the 6-foot trophy in Florida,†said Alex.
The event drew 200 participants from Croatia, Canada, Egypt, Jordan, Denmark, China, Japan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cayman Islands, the Philippines and the United States.
The Eala siblings qualified for the tournament by winning the first phase of the Little Mo International Grand Slam tournament at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs last July.
The twin wins in Colorado and New York thus lined them up for the coveted Little Mo Grand Slam championship in Florida this December.
The Little Mo International Tennis tournament is considered as the best international tournament for kids 12-years-and-under.