Romualdez, 2 other local bets gain in Phinma tilt

Jerome Romualdez rebounded from a second set defeat and repulsed Indonesian Steven Poedil, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, to tow two other local bets into the second round of the PSC-Phinma International Juniors Tennis Championships Week 2 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Romualdez, out to atone for his first round exit in Week 1 of the Grade 4 ITF tournament sponsored by Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission, recovered his rhythm and form in the decider, dominating Poedil with a variety of shots to pull off the win.

But the 16-year-old Romualdez will have to double his effort when he shoots for a quarterfinal berth against second seed Yeongseok Jeong of Korea, who eased out Japanese Shinji Hazawa, 6-2, 6-3, in the lower half of the 32-player draw in the event backed by Mariposa Foundation, Dunlop Fort All Court Balls and Orchids Garden Suites.

Wild card Arthur Pantino, who lost to Jeong in the semis last week, held off Japanese Kairi Inoue, 6-3, 6-4, to likewise advance in the upper draw while John Bryan Otico, who bowed to Pantino in the last week’s Last 8 phase, subdued Yusuke Miyai, also of Japan, 6-3, 6-3.

The girls, meanwhile, take center stage today with back-to-back Week 1 winner Khim Iglupas kicking off her sweep bid against Nagomi Higashitani of Japan. Other Filipinas competing are Monica Cruz, Maia Balce, Carmen So, Shaira Rivera, Rafaella Villanueva and Frances Santiago.

Iglupas, along with Otico, Pantino and Rivera are all mainstays of the Philippine Tennis Academy headed by Rommie Chan, Oscar Hilado and Jean Henri Lhuillier with Jun Toledo as coach.

Four local bets, however, took the early exit in the last of two legs of the annual event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez with Wannait Srirasa of Thailand as ITF supervisor and Loida Mallare as tournament director.

Michael Eala succumbed to Week 1 champion Naoki Tajima’s power game and took a 6-1, 6-1 defeat; Justin Suarez lost steam and dropped a 6-3, 6-3 setback to Thai Charles Roberts; Jacob Martin, who clinched one of the four berths in the two-day qualifying Monday, groped for form and lost to Alester Magalit of Hong Kong, 6-1, 6-1.

Stephan Lhuillier also took a stinging 6-2, 6-2 setback to Singaporean Giritharan Devendiran.