Pinoy netters take four Phinma main draw slots

MANILA, Philippines - Diego Dalisay upended Vietnamese Phuong Van Nguyen, 6-3, 6-3, while Vince Salas turned back Japanese Yusuke Nishitani, 7-6(1), 6-1, as the Filipino bets grabbed the four remaining berths in the main draw of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships which unfolds today the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

Chris Prulla eased out Manuel Balce III, 6-4, 6-1, while Noel Damian repulsed Justin Suarez, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, as the local players took the four seats disputed in the two-day qualifier of the annual Grade 4 ITF tournament backed by major sponsors Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission.

That should boost the Filipinos’ chances in the boys’ side as the four join wild cards Arthur Craig Pantino, Michael Francis Eala II, Cenon Gonzales and Joel Atienza, and John Bryan Otico, the lone Filipino in the main draw, in the chase for top honors and ranking points in the week-long tournament backed by Mariposa Foundation, Palm Rock Residencs and Dunlop Sport, also the tournament’s distributor of official balls.

But three Filipinas fell short of their bid to crash into the tournament proper as Maria So dropped a 6-2, 6-0 setback to Tiffany Linh Nguyen of the US; Mikaela Vicencio bowed to Thai Manachaya Sawangkaew, 6-0, 6-1; and Carmen So succumbing to Japanese Sachiho Sho, 6-2, 6-1.

Korean Han Byeol Lee took the fourth girls’ seat in the first of the two-week circuit with a 6-1, 6-1 romp over Chanthel Thongpok of the US.

But Khim Iglupas is all primed up for a title repeat with wild cards Shaira Hope Rivera, Rafaella Jean Villanueva, Frances Santiago and Jacqueline Tan Ho also hoping to contend for the crown in the girls’ side of the event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Paranaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez with Wannait Srirasa of Thailand as ITF supervisor and Loida Mallare as tournament director.

Also on tap is the doubles competition in both sides.

The PSC-Phinma IJTC Week 2 will be held Nov. 24-29.

Other seeded players in Week I are Taiwanese Shao-min Ko, Cheng-Chieh Wang, Bang Shuo Yin and Yun Ruei Wen, Korean Jeong Yeongseok, Shaheed Alam of Singapore, Indonesians Steven Harianto and Achad Imam Maruf, Hong Kong’s Denton Ho, Ali Moorah of Pakistan and Czech Ondrej Ctverak.