First phase champion Alberto Lim Jr. thrashed Indian Vashisht Vinod Cheruku, 6-1, 6-2, and remained as the only local bet still in the running in week 2 of the Ajay Pathak Memorial Cup/ITF 14-Under Development Championships yesterday at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Despite the lopsided quarterfinal win, the 13-year-old Lim said he’s not pleased with the way he played in the noontime match under searing heat, admitting that he was sluggish early in the second set before he regained his focus.
Lim will next take on Thai sixth pick Charles Roberts in the semifinals. After losing to Lim, 6-2, 6-2, in the quarterfinals last week, Roberts reached the Final Four this time with a 6-1, 6-3 rout of Hong Kong’s Alan Sou Ming Chin, 6-1, 6-3.
Cebuano rising star Jan Godfrey Seno, who bagged the boys’ doubles crown in tandem with Lim last week, dropped out of singles play after a 6-4, 6-2 loss to third seed Pariskshi Somani of India.
Seno outlasted Vietnam’s Nguyen Mau Vinh Quang, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5, last Tuesday.
Filipino-British Meredith Jones also bowed out, absorbing a 6-1, 6-3 loss from Sruta Kirti Gunuganti of India in the twin events organized by the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund and the Philippine Tennis Academy and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Technifibre Balls, Wilkins, Mariposa Foundation, Cebuana Lhuillier, Chowking and Trans-Asia Corp.
“I will carry the fight for the Philippines,” said Lim.