Top seeds pound way to quarters

MANILA, Philippines - Top seed Eric Jed Olivarez and No. 2 Marcen Angelo Gonzales rolled past their respective rivals in easy fashions to advance to the quarterfinal round of the boys’ 16-and-under division in the Palawan Pawnshop Regional age-group tennis tournament in Cainta, Rizal yesterday.

Olivarez, who earlier led the Last 8 cast in the premier 18-and-under class, smothered Mar Raphael Teng, 6-1, 6-0, to set a quarters duel with No. 7 Vincent Alanis, who also scored a 6-0, 6-1 rout of Jose Buenaventura.

Gonzales, also a quarterfinalist in the 18-U category, eased out Gabriel Tiamson, 6-0, 6-2, to arrange a showdown with No. 6 Emmanuel Fuellas in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and backed up Babolat. Fuellas won via default over Paolo So.

Also moving into the quarters were No. 3 Jerome Romualdez, who booted out Karl Tenorio, 6-1, 6-0; fourth seed Cenon Gonzales Jr., who repulsed Paul Gulfo, 6-3, 7-5; No. 5 Julian Dayrit, who overpowered Tomas Puno, 6-1, 6-2; and Elijah Arevalo, who defeated Manuel Balce III, 6-4, 6-1.

Maia Balce, meanwhile, clobbered Erika Manduriao, 6-3, 6-2, to seal a semis clash with surprise package Chloe Mae Saraza in the girls’ 16-U side of the event serving as the eighth leg of this year’s circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop headed by COO Bobby Castro.

Saraza, who shocked No. 3 Ma. Dominique Ong last Sunday, added Frances Santiago to her growing list of victims, pulling off a thrilling 5-7, 7-6(5), 10-4 victory.

Second seed Andrea Nicole Amistad got past Johanna Capinpin, 6-0, 6-0, for a semis duel with Isabella Orteza, who also blanked Camille So, 6-0, 6-0.

Saraza also moved into the semis of the girls’ 14-U category, beating Mae Perez, 6-0, 6-0, while Martina Bautista scored a 6-1, 6-2 romp over Monica Mallari to clinch the other semis berth in the lower half of the draw.

Mikaela Vicencio outclassed Maxine Martin, 6-2, 6-0, to reach the finals of the girls’ 12-U division while Diego Dayrit and Jan Harold Trillanes advanced to the semis of the 10-unisex category. Dayrit beat Daniel Estanislao III, 6-2, 6-1, while Trillanes whipped Adam Sujica, 6-0, 6-1.

The other semifinalists were Miguel Luis Vicencio, who held off Juan Carlo Lapore, 6-3, 6-7, 10-8; and April Mineth Bentillo, who downed Alfred Doloroso, 6-0, 6-2.