Croat, Turkish top seeds blow into semis

TOP SEEDS Borna Coric of Croatia and Ipek Soylu of Turkey overwhelmed their rivals yesterday and advanced to the semifinals of the boys’ and girls’ singles, respectively, of the rain-delayed 24th Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Championships at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Coric got back at his tormentor last year with impunity, crushing Australian Harry Bourchier, 6-0, 6-0, to set up a showdown with No. 3 New Zealander Cameron Norrie, who rolled past sixth seed Benjamin Bonzi of France, 7-5, 6-4.

The big-hitting Coric, ranked fourth in the world at only 16, proved unstoppable with his power serves and placement shots and wrapped up the win just before a heavy downpour interrupted play for several hours.

Bourchier, the world’s No. 33, ousted Coric last year in the second round.

Soylu, the comely Turkish beauty, took her place in the final four after a 6-3, 6-1 scuttling of India’s Rutuja Bhosale.
The 16-year-old Soylu, who won a similar tournament in Sarawak recently, will next face the 11th-seeded Australian Sara Tomic, who stunned fourth seed Xu Shilin, 6-0, 6-2, of China.

Serbian third seed Nina Stojanovic drubbed China’s Xun Fangying, 6-2, 6-2, and arranged a duel with Katie Boulter of Britain who upset fifth seed Hikari Yamamato of Japan, 6-2, 6-4.

Boys singles No. 2 Omar Jasika of Australia struggled past Alexander Muller of France, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, to set up a final-four clash with fourth seed Luke Bambridge of Britain, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 winner over Korean Kim Young-seok.

Maika Jae Tanpoco, the last Filipino player still in contention, and Japanese partner Kyoka Okamura were still playing Boulter and fellow Briton Isabelle Wallace in girls’ doubles second round.