Unheralded bets score net shockers

MANILA, Philippines - Unheralded Filipino bet Jurence Mendoza and Fil-Am Desirae Krawczyk pulled off shocking victories to rule their respective divisions in the second and final week of the Phinma International Juniors tennis competitions at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The 14-year-old Mendoza stunned top seed and Week One champion Nuttanon Kadchapanan of Thailand, 6-1, 6-2, for the championship that allowed him to break into the International Tennis Federation ranking.

The Olongapo native earned 40 ITF points for his winning effort.

Mendoza never dropped a set in rolling past No. 2 Aditya Ichsandi Haris of Indonesia, 6-3, 6-1, No. 5 Tas Suwanasang of Thailand, 6-2, 6-1, then Kadchapanan.

Meanwhile, Krawczyk, a Fil-Am whose mother traces her roots to Cagayan, pulled the rug from under third seed Qin Siyu of China, 6-1, 6-1, to rule the distaff side.

The 16-year-old Krawczyk made a big improvement from last week when she failed to make it past the semifinals, bowing to eventual champion Kathinka Von Deichmann of Liechtenstein.

Krawczyk eased out No. 2 Sanae Ota of Japan, 6-1, 7-5, and No. 6 Sofia Dmitrieva of Russia, 6-0, 6-4, on the way to the finals in week two.

Krawczyk completed a double-championship as she later teamed up with RP bet Tamitha Nguyen in surprising the top-seeded duo of Ekaterina Klyueva of Russia and Ota, 6-3, 7-5, for the girls’ doubles crown.

Taiwanese third seed Tang Chih-chun and Chu Yu-Hsiang, for their part, reigned supreme in the boys’ doubles with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over compatriot Lee Kuan-I and Japan’s Yuki Muramatsu.