Martin, Salas clinch Phinma Week 2 berths

JACOB Martin and Vince Salas notched contrasting victories to take two of the four slots disputed in the two-day qualifiers for Week 2 of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships which starts today at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Martin completed a come-from-behind 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1, victory over Taiwanese Yu Feng Chen.

Salas, on the other hand, beat compatriot Manuel Balce III, 6-2, 6-3, as the Filipinos joined Japan’s Yusuke Miyai and Singapore’s Giritharan Devendiran into the tournament proper of the Grade 4 ITF tournament.

Miyai eased out local Justine Prulla, 6-3, 6-1, while the top-seeded Devendiran turned back Cenon Gonzales Jr., 6-3, 7-5.

Taking the four berths in the girls’ side were Koreans Yuseung Suh and Han Byeol Lee, Thailand’s Manachaya Sawangkaew and Risa Fukutoku of Japan.

Suh and Lee crushed Malaysian Aznor Mastura and Cambodia’s Serey Cheng via the same 6-0, 6-0 scores; Sawangkaew dominated Japan’s Sachiho Sho, 6-1, 6-0; while Fukutoku blasted Chanthel Thongphok of the US, 6-1, 6-3.