JEROME Romualdez outlasted his Indonesian opponent yesterday and led two other locals to the second round of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships Week 2 at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
The 16-year-old Romualdez, eager to make up for his early exit last week, downed Steven Poedil, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, to advance against No. 2 Jeong Yeong-seok of South Korea.
Jeong eliminated Japanese Shinji Hazawa, 6-2, 6-3.
Joining Romualdez in the second round are Philippine Tennis Academy stalwarts Craig Pantino and John Bryan Otico.
Pantino, who reached the semifinals last week but lost to Jeong, subdued Japanese Kairi Inoue, 6-3, 6-4, while Otico drubbed Japanese Yusuke Miyai, 6-3, 6-3.
Four other Filipino bets headed to the exits—Michael Eala, Justin Suarez, Alester Magalit and Stephan Lhuillier. Marc Anthony Reyes