PHINMA TENNIS: Mendoza, 4 others advance

MANILA, Philippines—Jurence Zosimo Mendoza cruised past Li Zhaotai of China, 6-4, 6-0, Tuesday and towed four other Filipinos to the second round of the Phinma international junior tennis championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The fourth-seeded Mendoza, a quarterfinalist in the first phase last week, will next face the winner between last week’s boys’ singles champion Kang Keon-ku of Korea and Jason Peter Paltzer of Austria.

The 15-year-old Mendoza ruled week 2 of this tourney last year.

Southeast Asian Games veterans Anna Clarice Patrimonio and Marian Jade Capadocia also advanced in the girls’ singles along with Tamitha Nguyen and Maika Jae Tanpoco.

Patrimonio, the second seed, trounced Elizaveta Tregubova of Russia, 6-1, 6-2. Capadocia thrashed Regina Zabarskaya of Russia, 6-0, 6-1.

The No. 3 seed Nguyen and 8th seed Tanpoco prevailed over Jelena Lukic of Serbia, 6-1, 6-2, and Miyo Kobayashi of Japan, 6-4, 6-2, respectively.