Tanpoco stuns Ohta in junior tennis

MANILA, Philippines - Maika Tanpoco surprised Japanese second seed Sanae Ohta with strong forehand volleys as she hacked out a 6-2, 6-3 victory to reach the semifinal round of the International Juniors Tennis Championship (ITF) junior’s Circuit Week 1 girls singles at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Tanpoco battled back from a 0-2 deficit in the second set to complete her straight-set romp and arrange a showdown with Nastassia Rubel of Belarus in the semis.

“It’s a great day to score a win against a seeded player,” said the 16-year-old Tanpoco. “But I need to play very hard against Rubel to make it to the finals. She is too good.”

While Tanpoco made it to the Final Four, fellow Filipinas Tamitha Nguyen and Marian Jade Capadocia fell by the wayside, dropping a pair of setbacks in the event backed by the Phinma, ATP Head balls, ITF, and Philippine Tennis Association. Smart Sports, ICTSI, Viva Mineral Water, Powerade Energy Drink, Chris Sports, ATP, Century Park Hotel and Philippine Sports Commission.

Japanese Miki Kobayashi stopped Nguyen, 6-2, 6-3, while Briton Eden Silva ended Capadocia’s giant-killing run with a 7-5, 6-2 win.

Kobayashi and Silva dispute the other final berth.

Capadocia booted out top seed Kanika Vaida of India in the second round but failed get the job done against Silva.

In boy’s singles, Taiwan’s Yu Cheng-Yu whipped Filipino Jurence Mendoza, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, while Wattanakul Singekrawee of Thailand routed Ku-Keon Kang of Korea, 6-2, 6-4 to make it to the semis.