Lim holds off Russian foe

Alberto Lim Jr. survived the first test in his bid for a second successive championship, avoiding the fate of Marian Capadocia who got the door in the first round of the Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila.

Lim, the 13-year-old junior ace from Letran, fought back from a set down to stop Russian Alexander Yarkov, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, and sustain his good fortune after bagging the boys’ title in the first leg of the two-stage tournament last week at the expense of Japan’s Yosuke Takahashi.

First-leg girls’ champion Capadocia’s inspiring run came to an early end as she bowed to Nozomi Ohya of Japan, 3-6, 3-6, in the circuit backed by Technifibre, Viva, Powerade and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Up next for Lim is Thai Congsup Congcar, a 6-3, 6-0 winner over American Victor Gurevich.

Carrying the fight for the local girls were No. 3 Maika Jae Tanpoco, who whipped Thai Anais Nussaume, 6-2, 6-1, and unseeded Katrina Orteza who tripped Japan’s Miyo Kobayashi, 6-3, 6-0.

India’s Pranjala Yadlapalli downed Russia’s Flyora Shiyanova, 7-6 (2), 6-3, and set up a clash with Tanpoco. Orteza next faces top seed Chang Ya-ting of Chinese Taipei, who trounced Russian Anna Grigoryan, 6-1, 6-3.

But Maia Bernadette Balce, Maria Angela Sunga and Rachelle de Guzman were not as lucky.

Britain’s Gabriella Patricia Taylor dumped Balce, 6-1, 6-0; No. 4 Plobrung Plipuech bested Sunga, 6-3, 6-0; and Thai Wanvisa Thurakitseree outgunned De Guzman, 6-4, 6-4.