MANILA, Philippines - Marcen Gonzales pulled off a pair of tough victories to clinch one of the four berths disputed in the two-day qualifying of the Phinma International Junior Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.
Gonzales, who posted an easy 6-0, 6-0 romp over Taiwan’s Han Chun Chi in the first round, upended sixth ranked Alvin Edison of Indonesia, 7-6(6), 6-3, and Taiwan’s Li Chei Yin, 7-6(1), 6-3, to join No. 2 Bryan Husin of Indonesia, Japan’s Shohei Chikami and No. 4 Yousuke Watanuki, also of Japan, in the 32-player main draw of the Grade 4 tournament sponsored by Phinma Group of Companies.
But the other local aces fell by the wayside with Joachim Samson bowing to top seed Lin Wei-de, 6-4, 7-5, and Vince Salas succumbing to Husin. Lin, however, got clobbered by Chicami, 6-0, 6-0.
Husin later trounced Jack Pulliam of the US, 6-2, 6-1, and Watanuki repulsed Korean Park Sanghoon, 4-6, 6-0, 6-4.
Advancing to the girls’ side of the event, sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Dunlop Fort All Court Balls, Wilkins and Viva Mineral Water, are Taiwan’s Hsin Yuan Shih, China’s Junsai Wang and Japan’s Yu Fujioka and Momoka Yoshida.
Meanwhile, the chase for top honors and ranking points starts today Eric Olivarez Jr., Andrew Cano and Dave Mosqueda, three of the country’s top five junior players, and Gonzales leading the local charge.
Roxanne Resma, the country’s No. 3, leads the hosts’ bid in the girls’ side of the six-day event along with Maia Balce, Khim Iglupas and Katrina Orteza.