Khim Iglupas and Maia Balce carved out stunning wins to barge into the girls’ quarterfinals yesterday in the Phinma-PSC International Juniors Tennis Championships Week 1 at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
The unranked Balce upset third seed Zhibek Kulambayeva of Kazakhstan, 7-5, 6-2, in the tournament categorized as ITF Grade 4-event and will next face No. 7 pick Satoko Sueno of Japan, who ousted Thassaporn Naklo of Thailand, 6-3, 7-5.
Iglupas had an easier time in booting out Singapore’s Charmaine Seah, 6-1, 6-1. Iglupas will next battle sixth seed Ayumi Miyamoto of Japan, who bundled out Thai Parima Leenabanchong, 6-1, 6-2.
But Monica Therese Cruz and Maria Dominique Ong bowed out. Cruz lost to Japan’s Ramu Ueda, 6-1, 6-2, while Ong took a 6-1, 6-1 whipping from Indonesia’s Rifanty Kahfiani. Marc Anthony Reyes