Top seed Maria Dominique Ong ruled the centerpiece girls’ 18-under category of the recent PSC-Philta National age-group tennis tournament at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
The 16-year-old Ong downed Frances Santiago, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, to win the title. She beat Rafaella Villanueva, 6-3, 6-1, in the semifinals.
Ong also made the semifinals of the 16-under at the expense of Bettina Bautista, 6-0, 6-2, but lost in the final four to Santiago (6-3, 5-7, 6-3).
Ong was earlier erroneously reported as having lost to Villanueva in the 16-under quarterfinals.
Villanueva actually beat second seed Colleen Sioson, 6-3, 6-4, and not Ong, to reach the 16-under semifinals and then ousted Nicole Amistad, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, to make the finals. Santiago eventually bagged the 16-under after a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Villanueva.
Ong is one of the most promising young netters who served as ball kids during the International Premier Tennis League first leg in Manila last month.
She is currently ranked 637th in the world in juniors and has been competing abroad, going as far as Nairobi, Kenya. She finished runner-up in another age-group tourney in Bangladesh last month.