Patrombon overcomes cramps, rival

MANILA, Philippines - Top seed Jeson Patrombon got his projected place in the boys’ singles finals of the 22nd Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Championships, but not before having to overcome cramps and a tough stand by Serbian Pedja Krstin, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3), yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Hobbled by cramps on both thighs and nearing the point of exhaustion playing his 14th singles match in the last three weeks, Patrombon summoned his big fighting heart in outlasting the hard-fighting Serbian in their two-hour, 41-minute tussle.

With a 3-3 standoff in tiebreak, Patrombon connected on two winners sandwiching an error by Krstin for a 6-3 lead, then delivered the coup de grace via a wicked forehand that No. 7 Krstin couldn’t reach on the corner.

Patrombon guns for the title against an old rival, Australian No. 2 Andrew Whittington, hoping his weary body will recover in time as he seeks not just a first-ever boys’ singles crown for the country in the Grade 1 netfest but also a fitting gift for his 18th birthday today.

“I’m really exhausted but I still keep on fighting since I want to win,” said Patrombon, who is on his third straight finals appearance after runner-up finishes in the Chang LTAT ITF Junior Championships in Thailand and the 17th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup in Kuching, Malaysia.

Interestingly, it was the second seed Whittington who denied Patrombon the crown in Malaysia, the first time the Aussie beat the Iligan pride in three head-to-head meetings.

“This was my chance to get back at him,” Patrombon said of Whittington, who advanced after a 6-2, 6-3 drubbing of his compatriot fourth seed Luke Savlle in the other semis pairing.

After a split of the first two sets, Patrombon appeared headed for the win when he seized a 5-2 bubble in the decider. But with the Filipino slowed down by cramps, the taller Serbian managed to take the next three games to catch up at 5-5.

Patrombon won the 11th game notwithstanding a point penalty slapped on him for “ball abuse,” an offshoot of blasting the ball out of the playing area out of frustration for the second time in the match.

The resilient Serbian, however, easily won the 12th game to forge the tiebreak.

Meanwhile, Estonian third seed Anett Kontaveit and Serbian No. 4 Jovana Jaksic will dispute the girls’ singles title. Kontaveit outclassed Swedish No. 5 Ellen Allgurin, 6-3, 6-4, while Jaksic nipped Romanian Elena-Teodora Cadar, 6-3, 6-3, to arrange a title showdown.