Junior netter shines in US

MANILA, Philippines - Rising star Albert Lim, Jr. continued to make waves as he completed another double in the recent Pacific Coast Tennis Championship in Los Angeles.

The 12-year-old Letran freshman highlighted his giant-killing spree with a 6-0, 6-7, 6-1 win over American top seed Chase Lipscomb in the 14-years-and-under category of the annual event.

Unseeded in the tournament, Lim also crushed second seed Axel Steen, 6-1,6-2, in the semis in a performance that earned him respect from other older players as well as the coaches of the academy where he’s undergoing a one-month training.

Lim later teammed up with Robert Baylen to dispatch the American duo of Colter Smith and Ricky Smith in the doubles, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-3.

It was the ninth singles title and fourth doubles plum for the most prominent age-grouper in the country for the year, having won the Milo Technifibre and Tru-Flex Age-Group tournaments.

Last May, Lim completed a double championship when he clinched the singles and doubles titles in the 18-years-and-under categories in the Milo Technifibre – a big follow-up to a similar twin kill in the Tru-Flex tournament.

A protege of Philippine Tennis Academy headed by Romy Chan, Lim is also scheduled to compete in another high-level tournament in the US before heading home in time for the ATF Mariposa Tennis Championship.

Like Jeson Patrombon and Casey Alcantara, Lim is also hoping to don the national colors in the future, including in the Davis Cup competition.