Monica Therese Cruz subdued local bet Punnin Kovapitukted, 6-2, 6-4, Friday to capture the girls’ singles crown of the LTAT Under-14 Thailand Circuit 1-Siam Commercial Bank tennis championships in Bangkok.
Relying on sheer talent and instinct in the absence of a coach, the 14-year-old Cruz simply overpowered the field, crushing Chinese Taipei’s Hau Yan Lee, 6-0, 6-0, in the semifinals and Sri Lankan fourth seed Sathi Siyara Silva, 6-1, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.
Hau had earlier booted out top seed Anya Gunewardena, 6-3, 6-4. Cruz’s mother, Aida, said the feisty hitter from Naga will also compete in the second phase of the tourney to earn enough ranking points.
“We hope our tennis officials will finally take notice of Monica’s talents,” said the elder Cruz, adding that she is looking for a coach and a sponsor for her daughter.
Cruz stormed the local tennis scene with a string of victories last summer.
She also finished second to reigning top local player Marian Jade Capadocia in last month’s Makati Sports Club women’s singles championships.
Filipinos Michael Francis Eala and Marcus del Rosario also saw action but bowed out early in the tournament.