Khim Iglupas pulled off a 1-0 (ret.) win over Shaira Rivera to arrange a showdown for the women’s crown with Marian Capadocia in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Pintaflores Open Tennis Championship at Sacata Tennis Club in Negros Occidental Thursday.
The second-seeded Iglupas, pride of Iligan City, trounced Yasthyme Rivera, 6-1, 6-0, and Janelle Llavore, 6-1, 6-2, then made short work of Rivera to gain a crack at the title.
No. 3 Marian Capadocia clinched the other finals berth with a 6-2, 6-2 romp over Elsie Abarquez in the quarterfinal round of the tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines.
Top seed Jason Patrombon and No. 2 PJ Tierro stayed on title collision course in the men’s side as they trampled their respective rivals in the event serving as part of the host city’s Pintaflores Festival and supported by Palawan Pawnshop led by president/CEO Bobby Castro and Slazenger.
Patrombon downed Jimmy Tangalin, 6-3, 6-1, for a semifinals face-off with John Bryan Otico, who upset No. 3 Fritz Verdad, 6-1, 6-2.
Tierro thwarted Jose Maria Pague, 6-3, 6-2, in the lower half of the 32-man draw to seal a Final Four clash with No. 4 Vicente Anasta, who subdued Marcen Gonzales, 7-6(5), 6-3.