ARCH-NEMESIS Ma. Domique Ong and Erica Manduriao once again arranged a titular duel between themselves as they both barged into the championship round in the Girls’ 18-Under division of the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Tennis Association’s National Age Group tennis tournament at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila yesterday.
The Girls’ 18-Under topseed Ong of St. Paul’s University-Manila, blasted Isabella Mendoza 6-4, 6-2, to zoom her way to the final round and set up a battle versus archrival and second seed Manduriao, a San Sebastian Stags junior tennis varsity stalwart.
Manduriao, who defeated Ong in two age group divisions in the opening leg of the event at the Laray tennis courts in Consolacion, Cebu last month, claimed the other finals slot handily with a walkover win versus Nicole Amistad.
Ong and Manduriao will clash for the title at 10 a.m. today.
Ong also barged into the Girls’ 16-Under semifinals, where she’s also the topseed, with an emphatic 6-0, 6-0 victory over Ibiza Mae Perez and set up a duel against no.4 seed Frances Santiago, after the latter scored a 6-1, 6-2 win over Bianca Catoto.
The other semis match-up is between unseeded Rafaella Villanueva, a 3-1 (retired) winner over no.3 seed Nicole Amistad, and the second-seeded Manduriao, who booted out Katrina Penaflor.
In the 18-Under Boys’ division of the Philta Group 1 tilt, Stefan Suarez cornered the first semifinals seat in the age category after he bounced back from an opening set loss and outlast Joachim Samson in three gruelling sets, 2-6, 6-4, 10-7.
Suarez earlier scored an upset versus no.3 seed Betto Orendain, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
The 16-Under Boys quarterfinalists, on the other hand, are topseed Eric Jed Olivarez, Eubert del Rosario, Emmanuel Vacalares, Jr., Manuel Balce III, Le Yang Thean, Jerome Romualdez, Ainyll Ignacio and Elfardo Amazona. /Correspondent Jade S. Violeta