Friday, December 08, 2006 Repeat three-peat By Marian C. Baring Sun.Star Correspondent
The third leg of the Malaysian tennis circuit wrapped up yesterday in Perlis, Malaysia and contrary to a teary finale in the last leg, Cebu’s tennis sensation Sally Mae Siso was all smiles as she not only won two titles but also lifted the RP team to the over-all title of the 26th Kuangku Syed Putra Perlis Milo International Junior Tennis Championships.
The RP team hauled in a total of four golds—-two from Siso—-one silver and two bronze medals in this leg to upstage the powerhouse Korean team, which only had one gold.
Siso has won three gold medals in singles and two in doubles n the first three legs. Last year, she also won three gold medals with a different partner in doubles and bagged two singles golds.
It was a sweet revenge for the Filipinos since during the last leg in Penang, the Koreans outclassed the Filipinos winning all but one gold, which eventually went to the Filpinos courtesy of Siso.
Yesterday’s Girls 12 finals showed that hitting puberty not only has adverse effect on ones hormones, but it could ruin one’s game as well as Siso’s Korean counterpart sadly learned.
Period
Siso of University of San Carlos South Campus defeated Choi Jihee, 6-4, 6-4, a 12-year-old Korean, who was unaware that she was having her monthly period.
“I really had a hard time because she was really good. But when the spectators pointed out the huge stain in her shorts, she started to become conscious and I took advantage of it,” said Siso.
Fighter
Despite her pedicament, the Korean still fought Siso to the finish forcing Siso had to change her strategy before finally nailing her hat trick win.
“She had a powerful backhand and forehand so it was hard for me because she could always return my shots. What I did was place my shots in a way that she keeps running for it because I noticed that she gets tired right away,” Siso added.
Earlier, Jihee and partner Lee Daun had already succumbed to Siso’s and partner Neesha Menon’s prowess, losing to the Filipino-Malaysian tandem, 4-6, 4-6, for the doubles title.
It was a sweet revenge for Siso and Menon, as Jihee and Daun were the ones that defeated them in Penang last week.
Meanwhile, the other gold medalist for the RP team is Jurence Mendoza, who won the Boys 10 division and Kim Ivor Saraza, who won in the Boys14 class.
Dheo Talatayod won the silver in the Boys 12 singles. The bronze medals came from Mendoza and Cebuano Vince Mark Tabotabo won a bronze in the Boys 10 doubles, while Talatayod and Malaysian partner Ong Chen Khwan fished the other bronze in the Boys 12 doubles.
