3 Cebuanos make boys 18-U semis

Three Cebuanos and one netter from Manila advanced to the semifinal round of the boys 18-under in the Visayas leg of the MILO Junior Tennis Cup which opened yesterday at the Cebu International Tennis Centre Inc. (CITCI) in Laray Consolacion.

University of San Carlos’ (USC) Fritz Satera will contest the finals ticket against Ralph Juliane while Marc Norman Enriquez and Pocholo Macalino of San Beda battle in the other semis match.

While Macalino and Satera earned automatic entries into the semifinal round, Juliane and Enriquez had to slug it out in the quarterfinals.

Juliane crushed Brian Mangapis, 6-1, 6-0, while Enriquez outsmarted Edward Alomina, 7-5, 6-3.

Macalino also advanced to the 16-under semis after surviving Juliane, 5-7, 6-2, 10-8, in a super tiebreaker.

Also in the quarterfinals of the category are Andre Rodriquez of San Beda who will face Jessie Daniel Villarin and Jan Godfrey Seno who will meet Whismark Basanal.

Luck favored both Rodriguez and Villarin after both advanced to the quarterfinal round with no sweat. Rodriguez had drawn a bye while Villarin’s opponent Clyde Dale Bienes withdrew from the tournament.

Seno, who left early to attend his graduation rites, prevailed over San Beda’s Elijah Arevalo, 6-1, 6-4, while Basanal outsmarted Mangapis, 3-6, 6-0, 12-10 in a super tiebreak.

In the 14-under, Arevalo and Rodriguez will face each other in the semifinal.

Rodriguez thrashed Francis Gener Lambayan, 6-3, 6-2, while Arevalo demolished Marion Abinuman, 6-2, 6-1. The other semis pit Manuel Francis Navales vs. the winner of the Seno-Basanal match. Navales blanked Joshua Escobia, 6-0, 6-0.

Semifinalists in the 12-under are Lambayan, Nathaniel Karl Alipe, Jace Unto and Rey Dante Toledo while advancing to the finals in the unisex 10-under was Nonito John Pepito who routed Eric Louise Longakit, 6-3, 6-3.

In the distaff side, Cebu’s No.1 player Sally Mae Siso earned an automatic semis slot where she will meet the winner of the Cristine Bellita-Grace Melchor game.

The other quarterfinals match pit Rolyanne Adnel Culpa vs. Edel Donaire and Elgy Dasian vs. Hannah Grace Espinosa.

Clinching semis tickets in the 16-under are Martina Cabrera who beat Natalie Alipe, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, and Dasian who routed Donaire, 6-2, 6-0.

Cabrera meets Dawn Albert Uy while Dasian faces Allysa Mae Bornia. Uy and Bornia advanced to the final four after drawing a bye. The two girls are also automatic semifinalists in the 14-under. Uy will meet the winner of the Kristine Renee Salimbangon-Kate Danielle Acaso match while Bornia will go up against the winner between Cherry Mae Toledo and Zethley Mae Alferez.

The 12-under title will be contested by Alferez and Salimbangon.

The event, organized by the Children’s Tennis Workshop for the 25th straight year and sanctioned as a Group 3 tournament by the Philippine Tennis Association is supported by Wilson tennis balls.