INQUIRER Sports

FIL-AM RIZA ZALAMEDA SURVIVED THE foreign gauntlet with aplomb Tuesday as four other Filipinos crashed out in the opening round of the PLDT-Smart ITF Women?s Circuit Week 2 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Zalameda, a former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, overwhelmed Thailand?s Sophia Mulsap, 6-2, 6-3, to set up a second-round duel with South Korea?s Han Na-lae.

The Patrimonio sisters, Anna Christine and Anna Clarice, along with Czarina Mae Arevalo and Bambi Zoleta, however, bowed out early, just as they did in last week?s Holcim ITF event.

Zalameda faces a tough contender in Han, who battled back from a set down for a 2-6,
6-0, 6-1 upset triumph over the sixth-seeded He Chunyan of China.

Anna Christine, the 17-year-old daughter of former PBA superstar Alvin Patrimonio, absorbed a 6-2, 6-1 setback against Chinese Taipei?s Juan Ting Fei, before younger sister Anna Clarice dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision to the United States? Ivana King.

Zoleta also lost in straight sets to Korea?s You Jun-hae, 6-0, 6-2, but Arevalo, the country?s former top seed, posed a strong challenge against seventh-ranked Han Sung Hee of Korea before yielding, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

The 23-year-old Zalameda twice broke Mulsap?s serve in the second set to seal the win as she made amends to her shock first-round defeat in the Holcim Week 1 tournament.