Cebuano Seno secures 2 s’final seats in Tru-Flex
Cebu’s fast-rising netter Jan Godfrey Seno inched closer to two finals appearances in the 14th Tru-Flex National Age Group as he advanced to the semifinal round of the 14 and 16 & Under boys divisions at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Airbase.
In the 14 & Under, Seno routed fellow Cebuano Jace Christian Unto, 6-1, 6-1, to enter the final four. In the 16 & Under, he dismissed Lapu-Lapu’s Joshua Kinaadman, 6-2, 6-3, for a seat in the semis.
Seno’s opponent in both categories is Davao’s Bryan Otico, who, in the 14 & Under, bested Fahd Kenneth Banico, 6-3, 6-2. He also defeated Jose Fernando Arguelles, 6-4, 6-2, in the 16 & Under.
Should Seno survive Otico, he may have to default both his finals stints as he is scheduled to leave for Manila as part of the Philippine Under 14 team for the ITF World Juniors in Kuching Malaysia.
Both Seno’s semifinals matches will be played this morning. He has to leave for Manila in the afternoon then for Malaysia the next day. Seno said that should he win his semifinal matches, they plan to ask the organizers to reschedule the finals, which is slated for Saturday yet.
Another Cebuano, Arthur Craig “Iggy” Diaz Pantino, who is joining the Philippine Under 14 as a last minute replacement of Arthur Lim Jr., has already withdrawn from his match in the 16 & Under, giving Emmanuel Vacalares a no-sweat entry to the semifinals. He was scheduled to leave for Manila yesterday afternoon.
Vacalares will be contesting a finals entry against Dave Sebastian Mosqueda.
The other semifinal match in the 14 & Under will see Manila’s Michael Francis Eala going up against Fabien Callaud.
In the other categories of the boys division, Manila’s Nio Tria, the son of Philippine movie and TV actress Cherry Pie Picache, will be gunning for the 12 & under title against Hong Kong’s Tristan Kwok.
Tria clinched a semifinals entry via a 6-2, 6-2 thrashing of Unto while Kwok lambasted Kanlaon’s Heart Sotto, 6-2, 6-0.
In the 18 & Under, Cebu’s Changmai Necesario grabbed one of the finals ticket with a 6-2, 6-3 outsmarting of fellow Cebuano Marc Norman Enriquez.
The other finals ticket will still be contested between Vacalares and Lapu-Lapu’s Joshua Kinaadman.
In the girls division, exciting matches are brewing between Roxanne Resma and Khim Iglupas, both members of the Philippine Junior Federation Cup, who will be contesting the 18 and 16 & Under titles.
Battling for the 10 & Under unisex title is Manila’s Alexandra Eala against Hong Kong’s Chui Kei Leung.
All semifinals matches will be held at the Lapu-Lapu City tennis courts except for the 14 girls and 18 boys, which will be played at the Amores tennis court.
