Filipino top seed Khim Iglupas advanced in the girls’ quarterfinals while other local bets succumbed to their respective rivals yesterday in the Phinma-PSC International Juniors Tennis Tournament at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Iglupas, member of the national team that won silver at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, survived the persistent plays of unseeded Japanese foe Shiori Ito, 6-4, 7-5, to strengthen her title bid in this Grade 4 International Tennis Federation event.
The victory set up the No. 102-ranked Iglupas a meeting with the winner between fifth pick Oleksandra Kalachova of New Zealand and Mariya Polishchuk of Russia, who are playing at presstime.
Fil-Spaniard Diego Dalisay, however, couldn’t get sustain his hot start and yielded No. 5 Christian Didier Chin of Malaysia in the boy’s second round, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, even as Manuel Balce III absorbed a stinging 6-0, 6-0 beating at the expense of second seed Seita Watanabe of Japan.
Amanda Zoleta and Monica Therese Cruz’s campaign was also cut early after first-round defeats against foreign foes.
Zoleta lost to Canada’s Sabrina Alano, 6-0, 6-2, while Cruz bowed to Chinese Taipei’s Kuan Yi Lee, 7-5, 6-0.
Campaigning at presstime are Shaira Hope Rivera and Frances Angelica Santiago. (Kristel Satumbaga)