Korean, Thai clinch Phinma international junior tennis crowns

Korean Hong Chung and Thai Lusika Kumkhum ruled their respective divisions yesterday in the Phinma International Junior Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The unseeded Chung stunned top seed Ahmed El Menshawy of Great Britain, 7-5, 6-3, to pocket the boys’ singles title.

The top-seeded Kumkhum, on the other hand, got back at Yang Zhaoxuan of China, 6-3, 6-3, to clinch the girls’ singles title.

Chung, 15, fired six aces while El Menshawy had six double faults in that game, which lasted one hour, 30 minutes.

“It was a good match. We both had a great start but unfortunately he committed many mistakes mostly in the second set,” said Chung through an interpreter.

It was the second title this year for the Korean after winning the YangGu International Junior Championships back home in October.

On his way to the finals, Chung defeated unseeded Josip Mesin of Croatia, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, third seed Omar Elkheshen of Egypt and No. 8 Mico Santiago of the United States.

Kumkhum, ranked No. 203 in ITF Juniors, won five break points and had two aces to win her fourth crown this year. She swept the three-leg ITF Junior Championships in Pakistan three months ago.

“I’m happy to win this time,” said the 15-year-old Kumkhum, who absorbed a 3-6, 4-6 loss to Yang last week.

Kumkhum, who was born in Chantaburi but is now based in Bangkok, raced to a 3-1 lead in the first set but Yang won the next two games at 3-3.

Kumkhum, a member of the Junior Fed Cup team, took advantage of Yang’s unsteady serve to clinch the set in 30 minutes.

Chung and Kumkhum both earned 40 ITF ranking points while El Menshawy and Yang got 30 points each.