Capadocia, Lim eye 2nd triumphs; PH bets shine

VICTORIOUS last week, Alberto Lim and Marian Jade Capadocia go into Week 2 of the Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships starting today at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center with another individual title win in mind.

Lim seized the boys’ title with a masterful 6-3, 6-3 victory over Yosuke Takahashi of Japan while Capadocia capped an impressive run with a 6-1, 6-0 whipping of American Gabriella Umoquit in the girls’ finale.

A tough cast of foreigners stands in Lim and Capadocia’s way as they gear up for a sweep of the titles of the two-stage circuit backed by Technifibre, Viva mineral water and Powerade.

Jurence Mendoza, the country’s top bet in the ranking tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association, withdrew after straining his quadriceps. Takahashi eliminated Mendoza in the semifinals of the boys’ side.

Meanwhile, Dheo Talatayod pulled off a 7-6(4), 6-2 upset of fourth seed Wang Yu-chang of Taiwan in the two-day qualifier yesterday to earn a chance of snaring one of four slots in the main draw.

John Mavrick Victoria, Stefan Suarez and Andrew Cano also kept their hopes alive of entering the tournament proper.

Victoria turned back Edwyn Ramos of Australia, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4; Suarez routed Christian Lopez, 6-2, 6-3; and Cano downed Taiwan’s Hung Chien Chief, 6-3, 6-3.