INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines--Francis Casey Alcantara and Anna Clarice Patrimonio, the last Filipinos on the hunt, kept their campaigns alive Wednesday after besting their respective foes in the Phinma international juniors week 2 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Alcantara, last week?s runaway champ, dumped Takashi Saito of Japan, 6-0, 6-1, to make the quarterfinals in the boys singles even as Patrimonio stunned fifth seeded Egyptian Rana Sherif Ahmed, 6-1, 7-6 (3), to also advance to the girls singles.

But while everybody?s expecting Alcantara to cruise to the later rounds, 16-year-old Patrimonio pulled off a surprise against the heavy favorite Egyptian whom she never gave the chance to get her bearings.

Patrimonio rattled Sherif Ahmed with powerful forehands close to the net to easily take the first set. But the 15-year-old visitor fought back in the next set, patiently setting things up for winners to forge a tiebreak.

However, the momentum was clearly on Anna Clarice?s side as the 5-foot-6 second daughter of PBA legend Alvin Patrimonio hammered groundstrokes to tire her out.

Her sister, Southeast Asian Games-bound Anna Christine, fell in the first round as well as Shannin Mae Olivarez, Jasmine Ho, Mariane De Guzman and Patricia Joy Ortega.

Anna Clarice will play against China?s Tian Ran, the fourth seed who claimed the singles title last week. Tian booted out Klaartje Liebens of Belgium, 6-3, 6-1.