Kang, Rubel bag Phinma singles titles
MANILA, Philippines—Kang Keon-ku of South Korea downed Chinese Taipei’s Yu Cheng-yu to clinch the boys’ singles title even as crowd favorite Nastassia Rubel of Belarus cruised to the girls’ singles plum Sunday in the Phinma International junior championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
The 14-year-old Kang, the seventh seed, showed toughness beyond his age in pulling off a hard 7-5, 7-6 (2) triumph over the 16-year-old Yu while Rubel blasted Miki Kobayashi of Japan, 6-0, 6-1.
It was Kang’s second title this year after ruling the Suncheng Internationals in Korea last June. Rated 462nd in the world, Kang is expected to rise in the ITF rankings with the win which makes him the guy to beat in next week’s second phase.
Yu, seeded fifth and ranked 331st, eked out a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 quarterfinal upset win over fourth seed Filipino Jurence Zosimo Mendoza.
The 16-year-old Rubel, who displayed superb form in wrapping up the singles title, practically toyed with the fifth seed Kobayashi, who made the semis by beating Filipino Tamitha Nguyen, 6-2, 6-3.
Rubel, who hails from Minsk, duplicated her feat last September when she dominated the Education Cup in Latvia. She made the finals this time at the expense of Filipina Maika Jae Tanpoco, 6-4, 6-0.
It was also a double whammy for the tall and blonde Rubel as she annexed the girls’ doubles title in tandem with Kanika Vaidya of India after outclassing Filipino Marian Jade Capadocia and American Mariel Zaire Ante, 6-1, 6-3, in the finals Saturday.
Mendoza earlier paired with Kim Duk-young of South Korea to capture the boys’ doubles crown also Saturday at the expense of Tristan Meraut of France and Paramin Plodpai of Thailand.
