MANILA, Philippines –The promising Jerome Romualdez head the six Filipinos vying for main-draw slots Monday mostly against seeded players in the Mitsubishi Lancer international juniors tennis championships at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Romualdez brushed off countryman Kurt Dewey Mosqueda, 6-1, 6-0, to arrange a meeting with top-seeded Marco Chak Pong of Hong Kong, who took a bye in the qualifying round.
Also moving within a win of the 64 boys’ singles slots were Charles Joshua Kinaadman, Vince Russel Salas, Stefan Agustin Suarez and Kyle Parpan.
Joachim Samson, the only seeded Filipino in the qualifying, also took a bye and will next face Parpan, a 6-2, 6-3 victor over American Andre Ilagan.
Suarez beat Argil Lance Canizares, 6-0, 6-4, to advance against No. 4 Singaporean Joshua Lin, who had a bye.
Salas ripped Marcus del Rosario, 6-0, 6-3, and will next face third seed Jack Wong Hong-kit of Hong Kong.
Kinaadman, who bested compatriot John Jeremiah Tomacruz, 6-4, 6-3, takes on second seed Hsieh Chao-ting.
Meanwhile, top local hope Alberto Lim Jr., will compete in the event for the first time without his long-time mentor Manny Tecson.
The 14-year-old Lim, who has made inroads into the world junior rankings where he is now at 174th, has reportedly parted ways with the former national head coach.
Tecson has yet to confirm the break-up with the feisty Lim, who is touted to be the next local tennis wonder after Jeson Patrombon.
Lim hopes to end the country’s long title drought in the Lancer event. The last time a Filipino won was in 1997, when Maricris Fernandez bagged her second title. The boys’ winner that year was Australian Lleyton Hewitt.