Zoleta shine in Malaysian netfest

MANILA, Philippines - Amanda Gabrielle “Gaby” Zoleta capped a sterling season-long campaign here and abroad with a gold medal feat in the Malaysia Tennis Circuit, overpowering Nur Irdina Mohd Rosdi of Sarawak, 4-1, 4-0, in the finals of the Selangor-Genting International Junior Open Tennis Championships recently.

The 10-year-old Zoleta dropped just six games on her way to the championship, beating Johor’s Eva Norizam, 4-0, 4-0, No. 2 Nadia Yasmin of Selangor, 4-2, 4-0, and Brigita, 4-1, 4-2, before outclassing the top-seeded Rosdi, also her doubles partner.

She also took the bronze in the doubles with Bahar Toymyradova and had three other silver medal finishes in doubles and one singles bronze in a four-leg Malaysian stint, boosting the Bristol Integrated School student’s game and confidence as she gears up for tougher competitions next year.

With Rosdi, Zoleta settled for silver in the Penang International Junior Championships, dropping a 1-6, 2-6 loss to Koreans Kwon Ji Min and Jeong Young.

The duo also lost to the Korean pair, 1-6, 1-6, in the Langkawi Geopark International age-grouper while Zoleta bagged a singles bronze in the Perlis Milo International Juniors Championship and wound up with a doubles silver with Rosdi.

Prior to her Malaysian campaign, the young Zoleta, from Lucena City, posted seven victories in a two-month stretch on the local tennis circuit, including the 10-Unisex crown in the Lucena City National age-group tournament and the Cebuana Lhuillier 10-U title in Parañaque.

She also swept the 10-U and 12-and-U plums in the Milo Clark Angeles age-group in Pampanga then annexed another 10-U diadem in Cebuana Lhuillier leg in San Pablo City last May 6-12.

Zoleta also pocketed two 10-U doubles crowns in San Pablo City and in the first Philta Boy Leonora Cup at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.