JURENCE Zosimo Mendoza lost the boys’ singles title and settled for the doubles crown instead in the recent China Juniors 15 in Xiamen, China.
The left-handed Mendoza, already a PH Davis Cup practice player and the PCA Open singles runner-up at 16, took a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 decision from Zhen WeiQiang of China in their duel for the singles title that took two hours.
On the way to the finals, Mendoza toppled Thai top seed Wishang Trongcharoenchaikul, 6-7 (7-2), 4-4, retired.
Mendoza then teamed up with Chinese Taipei’s Yu Cheng-yu to upset doubles’ top picks Krittin Koaykul of Thailand and Thien Nguyen Hoang of Vietnam, 7-5, 2-6, 10-8.
The promising PH netter has been campaigning both in the juniors and men’s circuit under Dominic Utzinger, the Swiss coach who honed the skills of Roger Federer.
Meanwhile, 13-year-old Alberto Lim Jr., drubbed hometown bet Douglas Yang, 6-0, 6-0, Friday to make the main draw of the Chickeenduck Hong Kong Open junior tennis championships at Victoria Park courts in Causeway Bay.
It was Lim’s first stint in a Grade 3 tourney after reaching the quarterfinals of a Grade 5 and the semifinals of a Grade 4 event early this year.
“Our first goal here in Hong Kong is for AJ to get to the main draw, and we made it,” said coach Manny Tecson of his ward who is ranked 992nd in the world.