100 foreigners join PSC-Phinma jrs tennis

More than 100 foreign players are expected to vie for top honors when the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships get going Nov. 17 to 22 at Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

Most of them are entered in the qualifying round and will lock horns with Filipino campaigners in the first of the two-phase meet.

But focus is on 16-year-old Bryan Otico who is the only local bet to have made it to the main draw along with five Thais and four Japanese netters in the ITF Grade 4 event backed by Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Otico, a product of Philippine Tennis Academy, bagged his first ever ITF juniors title early this year in Vietnam.

The  players from Malaysia, Thailand, Great Britain, Russia, India, Singapore, Chinese-Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines will vie for slots in the main draw.

Qualifying round will be held Nov. 15 to 16 while registration will be Nov. 14 until 6 p.m. at Makati Polo Club. Week 2 will be on Nov. 24 to 29.

Kittirat Kerdlaphee, Phongsapak Kerdlaphee, Charles Roberts, Sirawit Daosaengsawang and Suphawit Sae-oui will represent Thailand while Rimpei Kawakami, Shinji Hazawa, Naoki Tajima and Hikaru Shiraishi see action for Japan.

Last year, local star Khim Iglupas captured the girls singles title during Week 1.