KUNMING, China — The Philippines Junior tennis team advanced to the semifinal round on a day its senior counterparts got stalled in a similar bid in the mixed team event of the 2019 Colorful Yunnan Belt And Road Initiative Kunming International Tennis Tournament at the Gloria Hotspring Resort Tennis Center here on Wednesday (Oct. 16).
Exequiel Jucutan together with teammates Jude Hidalgo, Jufe-ann Cocoy and Minette Bentillo carved out blowout wins over Myanmar, 3-0, and Laos, 3-0, to stay on top of Group A with Thailand.
The young Filipino netters will face their Thai counterparts next for the important match that would determine the countries entering the crossover Final 4 round.
The Philippine men and women netters bowed to hosts Anning China, 1-4, before dropping a 2-3 heartbreaker to Sri Lanka in the mixed team event.
Marcen Gonzales, Gab Tiamzon, Aidyll Ignacio and national women players Marian Capadocia, Clarice Patrimonio and Shaira Rivera must prevail over Mongolia in their last round-robin assignment to forge a three-way tie with Thailand and Sri Lanka for possible 3-2 identical cards.
Anning China in Group A together with Hongkong China and Malaysia in Group B are assured in their semifinal berths.
Lawyer Antonio Cablitas, Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) president, is head of the delegation in the tournament. (PR)
