Otico, Gonzales bow out of Phinma int’l jr tennis

FILIPINOS John Otico and Marcen Gonzales dropped their respective second-round assignments in the boys’ singles yesterday in the rain-marred Phinma-PSC International Juniors Tennis Championships–Week 2 at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Otico, who made the quarterfinals of the last week’s ITF tournament at the same venue, fell to India’s Udayan Bhakar, 6-4, 6-3, while Gonzales bowed to Japanese Rio Noguchi, 6-2, 6-0.

Rains delayed the matches, including those of Filipino top players Eric Olivarez Jr., and No. 1 seed and last week’s girls’ singles champion Khim Iglupas.

Boys’ singles top seed Toru Horie trounced Charles Roberts of Thailand, 6-3, 6-0, to reach the quarterfinals in one of the few matches completed in Week 2 of the ITF 18-Under Grade 4-category tournament sponsored by the Phinma Group of Companies, Philippine Sports Commission and Mariposa Foundation.

Other Filipino hopefuls still to play were Monica Therese Cruz, Maia Balce and Frances Santiago.