Zoleta cops bronze in Japan soft tennis

MANILA, Philippines - Bien Zoleta failed to sustain his charge and bowed to Japanese Emi Miyashita, 2-3 (4), for a bronze medal finish in the first International Juniors soft tennis tournament at the Yokkaichi Dome Arena in Yokkaichi, Japan recently.

Zoleta retired Yuri Abe of Japan, 3-0, then edged Nuwee Kerdsomboon of Thailand, 3-2, to barge into the semifinal round of the girls’ 21-under singles division.

But the graduating student of International Studies at the College of St. Benilde sputtered after forcing a tiebreak with Miyashita and settled for the bronze.

“This is the result of a disciplined year-long junior soft tennis program,” said Philippine Soft Tennis Association president Jeff Tamayo who also commended RP coaches Jovy Mamawal, Divine Escala and Michael Enriquez.

Team RP thus closed out with two silvers and four bronzes in the tournament featuring some of the top junior netters.

Ericson Marquez and AJ Carnay earlier qualified for the main draw in the singles 15-under class but lost to Timur Khabibulin of Kazahkstan, 0-4, and Yukiko Hayashi of Japan, 1-4, respectively. 

Marquez and Carl Viray together with Carnay and Pauline Cacapit won the Challenge stage silver medals for Team RP, whose campaign was backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and soft tennis patron Antonio Tamayo of the University of Perpetual Help.

The other bronze medalists were Chynna Mamawal and Glaze Gonzales in the girls’ 18-under; Zoleta and July Javelosa (girls’ 21-U); and Jopy Mamawal with Davis Alano (boys’ 21-U).