Mendoza, Lim oust Hong Kong netfest opponents

Seeded Filipino junior players Jurence Zosimo Mendoza and Alberto Lim Jr. cruised to the second round following impressive victories against their respective foes Tuesday in the Hong Kong Open junior tennis championships in Victoria Park.

The top-seeded Mendoza, 17, handily disposed of Chinese Taipei’s Jeffrey Hsu, 6-1, 6-1, to advance against South Korean Soon Woo-kwon, who drubbed another Taiwanese Lin Wei-de, 6-1, 6-2.

Fourteen-year-old Lim, seeded sixth, outlasted six-foot Wei Tung-li of Chinese Taipei, 7-5, retired. Lim will take on local boy Khak Pong Marco Lam, who routed Lee Hu-jun of Chinese Taipei, 6-1, 6-0.

It was big win for Lim, who avenged his loss to Wei last year in the Asian 14-under. Wei put up a tough fight but could not go on due to an injured knee. More importantly, Lim justified his new world ranking of 198th in the world which was a big leap from 254 when he first joined ITF early this year.

Coach Manny Tecson said his ward is on track to break the top 100 by yearend. The last time a Filipino made the top 10 was Tecson’s former student Jeson Patrombon who reached ninth at 17 years old. Marc Anthony Reyes