Fil-German Lehnert cruises to ICTSI-ITF semis

Filipino-German Katharina Lehnert continued her dominance in the ICTSI-ITF Women’s Circuit Week 1 on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. The pretty 16-year-old Lehnert, who hurdled past her first two rivals with ease, claimed the scalp of top seed Nungnadda Wannasuk of Thailand, 6-4, 6-4, to earn a semis seat Lehnert, whose mother hails from Rosario, La Union used her strong forehand return to eliminate Wannasuk, the highest-rated player in the tournament. “I am an aggressive player and I love to do that," said Lehnert after her victory over the 501st-ranked Wannasuk. Lehnert’s victory earned her a semis date against another dangerous Thai opponent, Luksika Kumkhum. Kumkhum beat seventh seed and compatriot Paengthan Pliphuech, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2, to become the last Thai standing in the tournament. Second seed Gally De Wael of Belgium and No. 3 Piia Suomalainen of Finland is the other semis pairing after beating their respective opponents. De Wael, ranked No. 508th in the world, bucked a slow start before outlasting Elodie Rogge-Dietrich of France, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, while Suomalainen dispatched Chanelle Van Nguyen of the United States, 6-4, 6-3. – JVP, GMANews.TV