De Dios earns ticket to q’finals, trips Basco

Unseeded Nico Riego De Dios banked on a brilliant all-around game yesterday to join two seeded compatriots in the boys’ singles quarterfinals of the 2004 Enervon Tablet-Futures Foundation International Juniors Tennis Championships at the Ynares Socio-Cultural Sports Center in Pasig City.

The Olongapo City-based Riego De Dios, who ousted third seed Hongkong’s Lai Xiao Peng in the first round, outclassed Michael Basco, 6-2, 6-2, to advance against No.8 Taiwanese Chien Chang Ting, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over qualifier Ma Kai Chieh.

Locals Miguel Narvaez and Ralph Kevin Barte, both regular campaigners in the ITF Juniors Circuit, scored contrasting wins to advance in the next round.

The sixth-ranked Narvaez needed an extra set to prevail over Korean Seo Jeong Han, 6-0, 0-6, 7-5, while Barte, seeded seventh, breezed past Taiwanese Ma Kai Chun, 6-1, 6-1.

Narvaez ‘s next opponent is second seed Taiwanese Chang Huai-en, who beat compatriot Ko Min Fu, 6-3, 6-3. Barte, on the other hand, will meet fourth seed Taiwanese Lien Chia Chu, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Korean qualifier Mun Hu Hae.

ITF Juniors No. 174 and top seed Martin Sayer of Hongkong blasted Korean qualifier Hong Hwi Jin, 6-0, 6-0, to forge a quarterfinal showdown with Taiwanese qualifier Peng Hsieh Yin, who eliminated fifth seed local Kyle Joshua Dandan, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

In the girls singles, top seed Korean Chin Seul-ki survived local Melissa Orteza, 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (4), to advance in the quarterfinals against Japanese qualifier Aki Yamasoto, a 6-2, 6-1 winner over local Trudy Gine Amoranto.

In other matches, third seed Filipino-German Vanessa Anja Peter demolished local Catherine Flores, 6-0, 6-0, to advance against Japanese Matsumi Yokota, who beat local Noelle Conchita Zoleta, 6-3, 6-0.

Other winners were fifth seed Japanese Ayumi Okuma over local Kristel Samala, 6-0, 6-1, and seventh seed Korean Jeong Yoon Young over Taiwanese qualifier Wang Chieh Ju, 6-1, 6-1.