Martin, Salas clinch Phinma Week 2 berths

MANILA, Philippines - Jacob Martin and Vince Salas pulled off victories in contrasting fashions as they took two of the four slots disputed in the two-day qualifiers for Week 2 of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships which starts today at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Martin, who fell short of his bid in Week 1, rebounded from a tough first-set setback, winning the next two to complete a come-from-behind 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, victory over Taiwanese Yu Feng Chen.

Salas, on the other hand, imposed his will and strength over compatriot Manuel Balce III, scoring an emphatic 6-2, 6-3 victory, as the Filipino bets joined Japan’s Yusuke Miyai and Singapore’s Giritharan Devendiran into the tournament proper of the Grade 4 ITF tournament sponsored by Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Miyai eased out local Justine Prulla, 6-3, 6-1, while the top-seeded Devendiran foiled another Filipino bet Cenon Gonzales Jr., 6-3, 7-5, in the event backed by Mariposa Foundation, Palm Rock Residences and Dunlop Sport, also the tournament’s distributor of official balls.

Taking the four berths in the girls’ side were Koreans Yuseung Suh and Han Byeol Lee, Thailand’s Manachaya Sawangkaew and Risa Fukutoku of Japan.

Suh and Lee crushed Malaysian Aznor Mastura and Cambodia’s Serey Cheng via the same 6-0, 6-0 scores; Sawangkaew dominated Japan’s Sachiho Sho, 6-1, 6-0; while Fukutoku blasted Chanthel Thongphok of the US, 6-1, 6-3.

Philippine Tennis Academy mainstay Khim Iglupas, meanwhile, guns for a sweep of the top ranking ITF junior tournament, seeking a follow-up to her 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Wang Xin Yu of China in Week 1 last Sunday.

But the Filipina ace braces for a tougher challenge this week with a slew of foreign rivals out to foil her drive for back-to-back title romp in the event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez with Wannait Srirasa of Thailand as ITF supervisor and Loida Mallare as tournament director.