Patrombon strikes, Patrimonio falters in Korean netfest

The country’s top male junior netter Jeson Patrombon opened his campaign in the Seogwipo Asia-Oceana Closed Championships with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Rishabdev Raman of India Wednesday in Jeju-do, South Korea. Making adjustments against the gusty winds, Patrombon won crucial points against a crack opponent to advance to the Round-of-32. “It was a good win. When you’re struggling with your game, and you dug deep and found a way to win the match, it means you will have another chance to do better and make adjustments for your next match," said coach Manny Tecson. Patrombon’s next foe will be hometown bet Hogi Kang, who eliminated Shukhrat Gizatulin of Uzbekistan, 6-0, 6-1. Seeded second in the tournament ranked B1 by the International Tennis Federation, Patrombon will need to endure the challenge of a hometown bet backed by a rowdy crowd. “We will be dealing with not just one player, but an entire team cheering against us. We will be ready for a fight," added Tecson. Patrombon is also seeing action in the doubles competition. He will join forces for the first time with Jaden Grinter of New Zealand. The duo opens their bid against James Kong of Hong Kong and Siyu Liu of China. Patrombon’s compatriot Anna Clarice Patrimonio suffered a crushing blow in her campaign here. The daughter of Philippine Basketball Association four-time Most Valuable Player Alvin Patrimonio lost to 16th seed Kanami Tsuj of Japan, 1-6, 4-6. Patrimonio, who will turn 17 on November 25, will try to salvage some measure of pride in the doubles competition where she will be paired with Zhu Ai of China. They will meet Koreans Jeong Yeong Won and Kim Da Hye in the first round. - RCJ, GMANews.TV