4 Philippine bets stay in Phinma tennis hunt

MANILA, Philippines – Justin Suarez subdued Indonesian Enrique Garcia, 6-2, 6-2, to lead three other local bets in the second round of the two-day qualifier for the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City yesterday.

Vince Salas eased out compatriot Jacob Martin, 6-0, 6-4, while Manuel Balce III trounced Joaquin de Venecia, 6-0, 6-1, in the boys’ side while Mikaela Vicencio scored a walkover win over Samantha Um of the US in the girls’ division of the Grade 4 ITF tournament backed by major sponsors Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission.

But Vicencio will have her hands full as she goes for the one of the four spots in the main draw staked in the elims as she faces second seed Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thai today even as compatriot Maria So tangles with No. 1 Tiffany Nguyen of the US.

Meanwhile, Arthur Craig Pantino, Michael Francis Eala II, Cenon Gonzales and Joel Atienza gained wild cards in the tournament proper firing off tomorrow, also at the MPC, while Shaira Hope Rivera, Rafaella Jean Villanueva, Frances Santiago and Jacqueline Tan Ho also earned wild card spots in the girls’ side.

Other local bets gunning for spots in the boys’ main draw of the ITF (International Tennis Federation) 18-Under category tournament are Stefan Suarez, Chris Prulla, Franco Tambunting, Noel Damian, Stephan Lhuillier, Marco Ayala and Diego Dalisay.

In other results, Japan’s Yusuke Nishitahi upended top seed Stefan Suarez, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4; Vietnam’s Phuong Van Nguyen bundled out Paulo So, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; Brunei’s Andi Hambali Abdullah whipped Jaime Almario, 6-1, 6-1; and Chantel Thongphok of the US crushed Danielle Poblador, 6-1, 6-0.

Five Thailand bets and four Japanese head the boys’ main draw of the ITF (International Tennis Federation) 18-Under category based on their respective rankings with John Bryan Otico as the lone Filipino in the main draw of the first of two week-long tournaments supported by Mariposa Foundation and Dunlop Sport, also the tournament’s distributor of official balls.

Local ace Khim Iglupas, meanwhile, dominated last year’s Week I girls’ division while Ayumi Miyamoto, also of Japan, topped Week 2 of the sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association with Wannait Srirasa of Thailand as ITF supervisor and Loida Mallare as tournament director.

Also on tap is the doubles competition in both sides.

The PSC-Phinma IJTC Week 2 will be held Nov. 24-29.

Other seeded players in Week I are Taiwanese Shao-min Ko, Cheng-Chieh Wang, Bang Shuo Yin and Yun Ruei Wen, Korean Jeong Yeongseok, Shaheed Alam of Singapore, Indonesians Steven Harianto and Achad Imam Maruf, Hong Kong’s Denton Ho, Ali Moorah of Pakistan and Czech Ondrej Ctverak.