LIM, CAPADOCIA SWEEP ITF JUNIORS WEEK 1 TITLES
YOUNG Alberto Lim Jr. further enhanced his flourishing tennis career by winning the boys’ crown in the Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships, beating Yusuke Takahashi of Japan, 6-3, 6-3 and capping the Filipinos’ domination of the first of the two-stage circuit at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on Sunday.
Marian Capadocia earlier set up the local bets’ rare and impressive sweep of the top ranking tournament among some of the world’s top juniors and rising stars when she overwhelmed of Gabriella Umoquit of the United States, 6-1, 6-0, in the girls’ final of the event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association.
Lim’s final romp, likewise, avenged top seed Jurence Mendoza’s 2-6, 6-4, 4-6 defeat to the Japanese No. 4 Saturday that prevented what could’ve been an all-Filipino final in the event.
But the 13- year- old find from Letran, a mainstay of the Philippine Tennis Academy, got the job done just the same, baffling Takahashi with his ground strokes and baseline game to fashion out the convincing win and become the youngest winner of the Grade Four International Tennis Federation Juniors event.
“The pain, hard work and sacri- fices have started to pay off. But I still have to work harder, learn more and continue to improve myself to have a chance of winning more tournaments,” said Lim, who helped the Squires win this season’s tennis title, while clinching the Most Valuable Player honors in his rookie year.
Capadocia, likewise, turned in an- other impressive performance, shutting down Umoquit with her superb all-around game to cap an explosive week for the 17-year-old talent from San Jose, Antique who anchored her title conquest with a stunning victory over top seed Sri Waishnavi Peddi Reddy of India early in the week.
“I didn’t expect it to win this fast and easy. I’m glad I did,” said Capadocia, set for an athletic scholarship at US National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I school Loyola Mermont next year.
It was Capadocia’s third crown after topping the Philippine Columbian Association Open and another Grade Four tournament in Hong Kong last year.