MANILA, Philippines – Week 1 champion Khim Iglupas and Week 2 winner Ayumi Miyamoto stayed on course for an explosive semifinal clash as they trampled their respective rivals to roll into the quarterfinal round of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships Week 1 at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City yesterday.
The third-seeded Iglupas, who dominated the first of two legs of this annual Grade 4 ITF tournament sponsored by Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission last year, rode on the crest of her 6-2, 6-0 romp over Korean Hyeran Yun Wednesday, easing out Japan’s Nagomi Higashitani, 6-3, 6-1.
The 17-year-old Filipina ace will next face another Japanese Anri Nagata, who bundled out Taipei’s Ting Chieh Wei, 6-0, 6-3, in the Last 8 of the week-long tournament backed by Mariposa Foundation, Palm Rock Residences and Dunlop Sport, also the tournament’s distributor of official balls.
The top-ranked Miyamoto, who foiled Iglupas in the semis then went on to win the Week 2 crown last year, also dominated Korean Han Byeol Lee, 6-2, 6-3, to set a quarters clash with the winner in the Yingyi Yang-Joleta Budiman match being played at presstime.
Chinese Wang Xin Yu, who shocked second seed Naho Sato, 6-4, 7-5, in the opener, sustained her fine form, ousting local ace Rafa Villanueva, 6-1, 6-0, for a quarters showdown with Sakura Yonehara of Japan, who thwarted Taiwanese Ho Chao Hsia in a thrilling duel, 7-5, 7-5.
Fourth seed Satoko Sueno, also of Japan, wore down Taiwan’s Yuelin Chen, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1, to advance against the winner of the Lian Tran-Himari Sato clash.
Victories by Miyamoto and Iglupas will seal the two champions’ early semis face-off in the event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Paranaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez with Wannait Srirasa of Thailand as ITF supervisor and Loida Mallare as tournament director.
Miyamoto, who will turn 15 next month, outlasted Iglupas in their semis duel in Week 2 last year, hacking out a tough 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory. But the Filipina ace is raring for a payback in what promises to be another slam-bang encounter between two of the region’s leading junior players.
Iglupas and Miyamoto were actually set to meet late yesterday with the former teaming up with Shaira Rivera and the latter combining with Anri Nagata in the girls’ doubles quarterfinals.
Other Filipinos vying for quarters in the boys’ side at presstime are Arthur Pantino, John Otico, Noel Damian and Vince Salas.
Week 2 of the event, which stakes 40 ranking points to the singles winners, will be played Nov. 24-29.