Filipino bets led by dethroned champion Khim Iglupas vowed to launch an even bigger title campaign in Week 2 even as Lee Kuen-yi of Chinese Taipei and Ryuki Matsuda of Japan ruled Week 1 of the Phinma-PSC international juniors championships at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.
Iglupas, Week 1 champion of the previous two years, bowed to eventual runner-up Chang Ting-pei (7-6 (3), 6-3) in the semifinals.
But the Iligan City native and stalwart of the Philippine Tennis Academy promised to get back in the second phase.
Already, local bets Austin Santos, Matthew Garcia, Joseph Tiamson and Jose Antonio Tria moved a win away from claiming berths in the main draw after their victories in the Week 2 qualifying rounds.
Santos beat Terrell Arejola (6-0, 6-3), Garcia eliminated Sebastien Lhuillier, (6-1, 6-1), Tiamson stopped Portugal’s Lourenco De Almeida, (7-6(6), 7-5), while Tria walked over Jahaan Sachdeva of India.
No. 2 Lee downed fellow Taiwanese Chang, 6-4, 6-1, to claim the girls’ crown while Matsuda upset second-seeded compatriot Seita Watanabe, 6-4, 7-5, to take the boys’ title.
Lee booted out Filipino Shaira River, (6-2, 6-2), in the quarterfinals before downing Chinese Li XuanJi, 6-4, 6-2 in the semis.
Both Lee and Matsuda earned 40 rankings points in the Grade 4 ITF meet.
Fallen Filipino top seed Bryan Otico salvaged some honors after he partnered with Watanabe to beat Malaysian Christian Chin and India’s Digvijay Singh, 4-6, 6-2 (10-7), in boys doubles final.
Taiwan’s Lin Hsuan Yu and Japanese partner Shiho Tsukua also turned back Chang and Li, 6-4, 6-7 (10-7), to rule the girls’ doubles.