INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines ? Jurence Zosimo Mendoza went through the wringer before squeezing out a 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory over Hong Kong?s Lee Ho-Ching to reach the boys? singles finals of the Tan Ho Cup Asian 14-under tennis series Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The 13-year-old Mendoza, at 5-foot-3 five inches shorter than Lee, battled through countless deuces before pulling it off after two hours and 50 minutes.

The Regional Science High School sophomore, who won three tournaments in Malaysia last summer, forged a showdown against second seed Chun-Hun Wong also of Hong Kong, who downed Chinese Taipei?s Lu Yi-ting, 6-4, 6-2, in the other semifinals.

Mendoza goes into the 9 a.m. final match slightly favored, having already beaten Wong, 6-3, 6-3, recently in Chinese Taipei.

Mendoza is hoping to amass ranking points in this leg which is his third in the Asian 14-under circuit. The circuit offers Asian Tennis Federation to the top eight players in the boys and girls based on their best six finishes.

But the local celebration was cut short when Chinese Taipei?s Hsu Chung-Wen stopped local bet Marian Jade Saldajero Capadocia, 6-0, 6-3, in the girls semis.

The tall and skinny Taiwanese proved just too good for Capadocia with her superior baseline and net game.

Capadocia also got rattled by Hsu?s knack for contesting shots as the tournament doesn?t employ any umpire except in the finals.

?She lost a lot of points there, especially her serves because even her aces the Taiwanese would call out, and she would serve again,? said Capadocia?s father and trainer, Joenito.

Hsu will face compatriot Hsieh Chu-chinin the finals after Hsieh ousted Ching Pang of Hong Kong, 6-3, 6-3.

Later, Capadocia revealed that she played with injured index finger which she hurt in the quarterfinals.

Capadocia, winner of 10 titles since last summer, shook the main draw when she upset Indian top seed Sayesha Dalal, 6-0, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.