Cebuana netter Zethley Mae Alferez fought valiantly under the searing heat of the sun. But the 14-year-old pride of Minglanilla, Cebu succumbed to Manila’s Erica Manduriao in the three grueling sets, 3-6, 6-4, 10-4 in yesterday’s semifinal round of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) – Philippine Lawn Tennis Association’s (Philta) Junior Tennis Championships 1st Leg at the Laray tennis courts in Sitio Laray, Consolacion, Cebu.
The Girl’s 16-Under No. 4 seed, Alferez of BRIGHT Academy, won the first set, 6-3. But the 16-year-old Manduriao forged a deciding set by winning the second, 6-4. She then completely dominated her Cebuana rival in the third, 10-4 to book her second finals ticket after barging into the championship round in the 18-Under Girls division with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Naga City’s Shyne Villareal.
Manduriao will face fellow Manileña Ma. Dominique Ong, the 18-Under 2nd seed who outlasted hard-fighting Cebuana 3rd seed Jana Pages, 2-6, 6-1, 10-3.
Alferez, the Philta Group 2 Palawan-OTR champion however, is set to make amends as she entered the finals of the girls 14-Under class by crushing Pink Lloyd Manabat, 6-0, 6-3 in the semis.
Waiting for her is fellow Cebuana, Renee Kristin Salimbangon of Mandaue City, who blanked Sheena Dungog, 6-0, 6-0.
Pages, for her part, avenged her loss to Ong in the 18-Under Girls by outlasting the latter in the 16-Under semis, 6-4, 2-6, 11-9. She will play with Manduriao in the finals.
Meanwhile, the crown in the 12-Under Girls will be disputed by Mariel Ann Villa, who blasted Febbie Jane Abayan, 6-0, 6-1, and Ellen Rose Bahonsua, who won via walkover vs. Hong Kong’s Noelle Vanasse Wilbert.
Naga-Cebu’s Eric Louise Longakit advanced to the final of the 10-Under Unisex division by upsetting top-seed Cesar Kristofer Salimbangon, 0-6, 6-2, 10-4 to forge a finals duel against John David Velez who crushed Harland Hogan, 6-1, 6-3 in the semis.
Salimbangon, however, marched to the finals of the 12-Under Boys, where he’s the No. 2 seed, after routing James Abad, 6-0, 6-1. He will meet top seed Jace Christian Unto for the title after the latter shot down Vince Alforque, 6-2, 6-4.
18-UNDER BOYS
Playing in the Boys 18-Under final are Clyde Bienes, a 6-1, 0-6, 12-10 winner over Mikell Lauron, and Joshua Kinaadman, who won via walkover versus John Godfrey Seno.
Seno, though, marched to the finals in the 16-Under Boys, where he’s the topseed, with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win over Manuel Francis Navales. He will meet No. 2 seed Manuel Balce III of Manila, a 7-5, 6-2 winner over FG Lambayan.
Lambayan however, will play for gold in the Boys 14-Under after defeating Heart Sotto the other day to arrange a titular duel vs. John Clyde Laquio, who shocked topseed Manuel Balce III, 7-4, 6-2.
All the championship games of the Philta Group 2 tourney sanctioned by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and hosted by the Local Government of Consolacion thru its Mayor Teresa P. Alegado, will be played starting at 8 a.m. today.
The event’s 2nd leg will be played at the La Paz Tennis Club in La Paz Plaza, Iloilo City on Nov. 4-10 while the 3rd leg will be hosted by Noah’s Haven Tennis Club in Homesite Bacolod City on Nov. 11 to 17.