Villanueva, Iglupas trip Phinma rivals

MANILA, Philippines - Khim Iglupas and Rafa Villanueva came away with a pair of emphatic victories over separate foreign rivals yesterday to set in motion their bid in the girls’ side of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships Week 1 at the Manila Polo Club in Makati.

Iglupas, seeking a repeat of her title romp here last year, overpowered Korean Hyeran Yun with her superb all-around game, dropping just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 victory while Villanueva trounced Thai Chanthel Thongphok, 6-2, 6-1, in the lower half of the 32-player draw headed by top seed and Week 2 winner Ayumi Miyamoto of Japan and second seed Naho Sato, also of Japan.

Iglupas, settling for No. 3, seeks a quarterfinal berth against the winner in the Tiffany Nguyen-Nagomi Higashitani duel while Villanueva, one of the country’s rising stars, hopes to sustain her charge against the victor in the Sato-Xin Wang clash in the Grade 4 ITF tournament backed by major sponsors Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission.

But while Iglupas and Villanueva advanced, compatriot Shaira Rivera missed joining the duo in the next round, dropping a heartbreaking 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) setback to Taiwanese Yuelin Chen, while Korean Han Byeol Lee blasted Jacqueline Ho, 6-1, 6-0, and Japan’s Satoko Sueno ripped Thai Parima Leenabanchong, 6-3, 6-1.

Meanwhile, John Otico pulled off a tough 7-5, 7-5 victory over Japanese Tsubasa Kato late Tuesday to advance to the second round against third seed P. Kerdlaphee of Thailand, who held off David Marshall Nguyen of the US, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in the event backed by Mariposa Foundation, Palm Rock Residences and Dunlop Sport, also the tournament’s distributor of official balls.