INQUIRER Sports

WORKING behind a solid forehand, Filipino junior hotshot Jeson Patrombon overcame seeded Indian Vaidik Munshaw, 6-3, 6-3, Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Osaka Mayor?s Cup-World Super Junior Tennis Championships in Japan.

The 16-year-old Patrombon, whose game resembles that of Cecil Mamiit, flustered Vaidik Munshaw with his aggressive play to move to the last eight of the elite event, a Grade 1 tournament rated one rung below the Grand Slam events.

?We came here to the World Super juniors to test our skills with the best,? said Patrombon?s coach, Manny Tecson. ?Now we are in the top 8 of the tournament and who knows we might go all the way with help from above.?

The only Filipino left in the boys? singles next battles Australian Jason Murray Kubler, the 11th seed who bundled out Chinese Taipei?s Hsieh Cheng-peng, 6-0, 6-1. The fifth-seeded Hsieh partnered Filipino Francis Casey Alcantara to the juniors doubles title of this year?s Australian Open.

Alcantara bowed out in the second round.

?A great win indeed for Jeson and it proved that we Filipinos are at par with these world-class players,? said Tecson, the former RP Davis Cup skipper.

In one of the last 16?s biggest upsets, Japan?s Takeshi Endo?s shocked top seed Daniel Berta of Sweden, 6-3, 7-5. Marc Anthony Reyes