Alcala fails to make quarters

THE PHILIPPINES’ Malvinne Ann Alcala failed to get past ninth seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, 14-21, 15-21, to miss out on the chance to be in the women’s singles quarterfinals of the World Juniors Badminton Championships in Chiba, Japan late Thursday.

Alcala, 16, and tipped as a future international star, scored a walkover win over Thilini Hendahewa of Sri Lanka in the opener then rallied from a set down to beat Thai Maetenee Phattanaphitoon, 17-21, 21-11, 21-16 in the second round. Ranged agianst the fifth-seeded Line Kjaersfeldt in the third round, the Filipina ace, who ruled the 19-under division in the recent Swiss International Junior Championships, didn’t flinch and pounded out an inspiring 21-19, 21-16 victory to crash into the Last 16.

But she lost steam against Yamaguchi and lost a spot in the quarters of the women’s singles that gathered the world’s top players in the ranks.

Joella De Vera and Mark Alcala, Malvinne’s younger brother and winner of the 17-under crown in the Swiss Juniors, actually hurdled their initial matches with the former beating Uzbek Dilrabo Ahmedova, 21-7, 21-10, and the latter repulsing Sinan Zorlu of Turkey, 13-21, 21-13, 21-19. But both lost in the second round./Correspondent Jonas Panerio