Monday, April 28, 2008 Tabotabo makes Laguna Open q’finals
FOLLOWING his masterful conquest in the Little Mo Regional Finals in California, Vince Mark Tabotabo is setting himself up for another title when he moved to the quarterfinal round of the Laguna Creek Open Tournament yesterday in California.
Tabotabo pulled off emphatic victories that stunned his American opponents. The small boy from Tuburan blanked James Stromer, 6-0, 6-0 ,in the first round, before pulling off the same exploit over Sean Mishra in the second round.
Tabotabo is up for a tall order as he arranged a showdown with fourth-seeded player Andrew Dumit in today’s round-of-8.
This is Tabotabo’s third competition in the US. At first, Tabotabo was still feeling his way around and wound up at the top four of the sectionals of a popular junior tennis
competition, the Little Mo event.
The Americans had underestimated the diminutive player as he managed to take fourth spot—the only spot he needed to make it to the regionals.
In the regionals last week, Tabotabo shamed his American foes when he took the regional title. Tabotabo upended Jack Lonogan, 6-0, 6-0, before upsetting top-seeded
Riley Scott, 6-0, 6-2 for the title.
The win earned Tabotabo an automatic entry to the national finals to be held later this year.
The Tabotabos’ trip to the US was made possible by the two highest officials of Cebu Province.
“We are very thankful to the Governor and Vice Governor for their support and to all the Tuburanons, who support Macmac,” said Tabotabo’s father Titus in a text message. Titus is currently accompanying his 11-year-old son this summer to join various competitions in the US. (MCB)
