INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines—Young Filipino sensation Leander Lazaro downed Japan’s Kenta Hashimoto, 6-3, 6-3, Thursday to retain the boys’ 16-under title in the 20th Andrada Cup age-group tennis championships at the Olivarez Sports Complex.

The lanky, 15-year-old Lazaro, also the defending 18-under champion, overwhelmed the visitor after organizers moved the venue from the open-air Rizal Memorial Tennis Center due to intermittent rains.

Sharing the limelight with Lazaro was Patricia Joy Orteza who pulled off a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 shocker over top seed and last year’s runner-up Enah Baba to barge into the semifinals of the girls’ 18-under category.

Orteza, who breezed through the quarterfinals through a bye and a couple of walkovers, will take on Japanese Ai Usami, a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victor over her compatriot Rio Yamada.

Two other Japanese, Ruiko Higashinaka and Momoko Tanaka, also hurdled their respective assignments and will meet in the other semifinal duel.

Higashinaka toppled sixth seed Marinel Rudas, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), while Tanaka routed Macy Gonzales, 6-2, 6-0.

China’s Shao Yi-jia took the girls’ 14-under title with an easy 6-2, 6-4 win over Marian Jade Capadocia. She also earned 100 ranking points.

Shao earlier upset eighth seed Isabela Orteza (6-1, 6-0), top seed Akiko De Guzman (6-4, 6-0) and No. 4 Katrina Orteza (6-0, 6-1).

Second seed Christian San Andres whipped third pick Claudio Canlas, 6-3, 6-0, to reach the finals seat of the boys’ 12-under division.