Manila ITF tennis lures ladies’ aces

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino-German Katharina Lehnert and last year’s champion Piia Suomalainen of Finland are expected to see action when the Smart-ITF women’s circuit Week 1 fires off on November 8 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Top-ranked Filipinos Marinel Rudas and Anna Christine Patrimonio are also taking part in the first of two major ladies tennis events in Manila that have drawn some 500 players.

The Smart-ITF Week 1 will have its qualifying tournament on Nov. 6 and 7 at the same venue. The second week of the twin tournament, known as the ICTSI-ITF Week 2, will have its qualifying on Nov. 13 and 14 for the main draw on Nov. 15 to 20.

Immediately after the twin ITF women events, the Phinma international junior tennis championship will roll off with its qualifying for Week 1 on Nov. 20 and 21 and the main draw on Nov. 22 to 27, also at the RMTC.

Phinma Week 2 will hold its qualifying on Nov. 27 and 28, while the main draw will be played on Nov. 29 to Dec. 4.

The two international events are sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation and made possible by the Philippine Investment Management Inc. (Phinma), Smart Communications and the International Container Terminal Service Inc. (ICTSI).

The two major events are backed by the Phinma group of companies, ICTSI, Smart, Head, the official ball; Viva Mineral Water, Powerade Energy Drink, Chris Sports, and the Philippine Sports Commission, ITF and Philta.

Phinma chair Oscar Hilado said the two major tennis competitions hope to discover the country’s next tennis aces.