Foreign bets picked in Phinma Jr netfest Week 2

All eyes will be on Week 1 champions Kathinka Von Deichmann of Liechtenstein and Nuttanon Kadchapanan of Thailand when the main draw of the Phinma International Junior Tennis Championship Week 2 gets underway at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center Tuesday. Von Deichmann, who stamped her class in the girls division, is again favored to lord it over a solid cast of local and foreign competitors. Out to foil the European netter’s bid for back-to-back titles are Filipina standouts Marinel Rudas, Clarice Patrimonio, Tamitha Nguyen and Maria Capadocia. Rudas made it as far as the quarterfinal round of this ITF Week 1 event, but she lost to Von Deichmann in their round-of-8 encounter. Kadchapanan, ranked second in the boys’ division, is also picked to complete a repeat. Four local boys were given wildcard entries in the main draw — Akio Sy, Jurence Mendoza, Jacob Lagman and Kim Saraza. All of them were eliminated early in Week 1. Among the tough foreign bets are Desirae Krawczyk of the United States, Qin Siyu of China, Tanaporn Thongsing of Thailand and Aldia Sutjiadi of Indonesia, the runner-up in the Week 1 event in the girls division.

For the boys' side, Louis Donczyk of Poland, Yu Chung Sheng of Chinese Taipei and the last tournament's second placer Nattan Benjasupawan of Thailand are the players to beat. On Monday, Louise Alexandra Lopez of the Philippines subdued Yuko Kimura of Japan, 6-3, 6-2, to join several other compatriots entered in the main draw of the girls division. Aside from Lopez, three other foreign bets — Mariel Zaire Ante of the United States, Natsumi Chimura of Japan and Yi-Chi Ma of Chinese Taipei — secured berths in the main draw of this event presented by Phinma Properties and supported by the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund. Ante outlasted Akane Sakuda of Japan, 6-4, 6-4; Chimura whipped Katrina Orteza of the Philippines, 6-0, 6-1; and Yi scuttled Yulia Sudnikova of Russia, 6-2, 6-1. Yong Joo Jung of South Korea and Singekrawee Wattanakul of Thailand also made it to the main draw of the boys divison. Yong beat erradon Tortrakul of Thailand, 6-1, 6-4, while Wattanakul ripped Chan Hwi Shin of Korea, 6-1, 6-2. - KY, Rey Joble, GMANews.TV