CEBUANO bets Sally Mae Siso and Jessica Lagman met contrasting fates yesterday in their respective campaigns in the Truflex Tennis Tournament at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
Siso lived up to her lofty billing as she became the first Cebuano to snag a quarterfinal slot with a 6-0, 6-0 bashing of Pia Tamayo in the Girls 14-Under division.
Lagman, for her part, became the first Cebuano casualty in the event after she suffered a humiliating 0-6, 0-6 loss at the hands of Filipino-Japanese Samantha Coyiuto in their Girls 16-Under battle.
Lagman’s loss reduced the number of Cebuanos hoping to advance to the next round to just three.
But the Cebuano netters will have a chance to avenge Lagman’s debacle to Coyiuto as the latter is scheduled to face Sally Mae in the next round of the Girls 14-Under category.
Lagman’s younger brother Jacob, on the other hand, stayed alive in the competition after the 11-year-old tennis sensation from St. Benedict Learning Center demolished separate foes to advance to the next round in two different age categories.
Jacob entered the third round of the Boys 12-Under division with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Mark Concepcion to arrange a meeting versus Jeremy Carreon.
In the Boys 14-Under, where he is currently the country’s top player, Jacob asserted his dominance with a convincing win over Gio Gatdula.
He is set to face either Kyle Palparan or Hans Asistio today.
Another Cebuano netter, New Delhi-bound Bernardine “Niño,” on the other hand, barged into third round of his age group after a 6-1, 6-0 win over Neil Paez.
Niño, who is being supported by Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez, will next face Joel Buenaflor or Vakoto Takatsugu, depending on the outcome of their second-round match yesterday.
Vince Mark Tabotabo, the pride of Tuburan, Cebu, joined his compatriots in the next level as he demolished Karl Kie, 6-3, 6-1, in the Boys 12-Under wars.
The nine-year-old Niño is also set to compete in the 10-Under Unisex class today. (MCB)
