Mendoza-Kim tops boys doubles in tennis tilt

MANILA, Philippines—Jurence Zosimo Mendoza paired with Kim Duk-young of South Korea to outlast Tristan Meraut of France and Paramin Plodpai of Thailand Saturday and take the boys doubles crown on the day the country’s singles bets got wiped out in the Phinma International junior tennis championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The fourth-seeded Mendoza and Kim secured the title with a 7-4, 6-1 conquest of the fourth seeds.

It was also a consolation of sorts for the 15-year-old Mendoza, who exited the singles event with a loss to Yu Cheng-yu of Chinese Taipei in Friday’s quarterfinals.

In girls doubles, top seeds Nastassia Rubel of Belarus and Kanika Vaidya of India asserted their mastery over Filipino Marian Jade Capadocia and American Mariel Zaire Ante, 6-1, 6-3, for the championship.

Rubel also stamped her class over the last Filipino standing in singles, Maika Jae Tanpoco, 6-4, 6-0, to crash into the finals.

Tanpoco, who has been on a hunt for a first title this year after a runner-up finish last month in Vietnam, gave everything she had but in the end gave in to Rubel’s power and skills.

The tall and blonde Belarussian, seeded 6th in singles, will battle Japanese Miki Kobayashi, the fifth seed who edged 8th seed Eden Silva of Great Britain, 6-2, 6-4.

Fifth seed Yu ended Meraut’s run in the boys singles with a 6-1, 6-4 victory in the semis. He will face in the finals 7th seed South Korean Kang Keon-ku, who escaped with a 7-5, 1-6, 6-1 win over 6th seed Gong PengXiang of China.

Tanpoco, 16, upset second seed Japanese Sanae Ohta, 6-2, 6-3, in the quarters.