Iglupas reaches Phinma finals

Khim Iglupas got back at Japanese Ayumi Miyamoto and carved out a 7-5, 6-3 victory Saturday to move within a win of retaining the girls’ crown in Week 1 of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships Week 1 at Manila Polo Club.

The 17-year-old Filipino ace outlasted Miyamoto in a back-and-forth duel in the opening set before dominating her rival in the next to complete the victory in the featured semifinal duel of the Grade 4 ITF tournament sponsored by Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Chinese Wang Xin Yu, meanwhile, kept the momentum of her sizzling run and whipped No. 4 Satoko Sueno, also of Japan, 6-0, 6-1, to set up a title clash with the top Philippine Tennis Academy bet in today’s finals of the first of two-week circuit backed by Mariposa Foundation, Palm Rock Residences and Dunlop Sport.

It was a big payback for Iglupas, who ruled Week 1 but fell to Miyamoto in the semifinals of last year’s Week 2 of this event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association.

But she is expected to have her hands full against Xin, who, like Iglupas, has been dishing out solid games on her way to the championship round.

Arthur Pantino lost the boys’ side, losing, 6-3, 6-2, to Jeong Yeong-seok of Korea.