Local jr bets take on foreign rivals in Phinma tennis bash

The country’s promising junior netters take center stage against crack players from Asia, Europe and America when the Phinma International Junior Tennis Championships Week 1 main draw gets going at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center Tuesday. Anne Clarice Patrimonio has been installed as the top seed in this tournament. The daughter of four-time PBA Most Valuable Player Alvin Patrimonio will not see action until Wednesday. She takes a bye Tuesday and will await the winner between Desirae Krawczyk of the United States and Dina Karina of India. But several other prominent local bets will see action in the first day of the main draw presented by Phinma Properties and supported by the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund. Tamitha Nguyen, Marinel Rudas and Maika Jane Tanpoco open their campaign against foreign rivals. Nguyen, seeded seventh, battles Varunya Wongteanchai in the morning match at center court. Rudas takes on Yuko Kimura of Japan while Tanpoco squares off with Nahathai Khuntaket of Thailand. Four local boys were given wildcard entries — Betto Daniele Orendain, Romain Lepoutre, Jacob Lagman and Enrique Gabriel Ferrer — in a division where Cao Zhaoyi of China and Chung-Sheng Yu of Chinese Taipei are expected to dominate. On Monday, Krawczyk, Mariel Zaire Ante and Jennifer Lu of US and Natsumi Chimura earned berths in the main draw. - KY, Rey Joble, GMANews.TV