Pinay teen wins ITF juniors title in Singapore
At the tender age of 17, Maika Jae Tanpoco has shown she can very well be the future of Philippine tennis.
Tanpoco summoned all her might to pull the rug from under Indonesian rival Efriliya Herlina 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and clinch the Summit Planners Singapore ITF Junior Championships women’s title in Singapore recently.
“Maika played with a lot of heart and determination to capture her first title since joining the World Junior tour several years ago,” stated coach Manny Tecson. “This result showed that anything is possible and nothing is too late when a player is willing to change for the better.”
On her way to the finals, Tanpoco cruised past Saya Usui of Japan 6-0, 6-3 in the quarterfinals then gutted out a thrilling 7-5, 6-4 victory over Malaysian bet Nilar Win in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, the third-ranked Herlina stole the spotlight by ousting top-seeded Parminder Kaur of India, 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the semifinal, making her the odds-on favorite to win the crown over Tanpoco.
Tecson, who also coaches former junior netter and budding pro Jeson Patrombon, knew Tanpoco was in for a tough grind against Herlina, stating: “This player (Herlina) is very solid and complete. She can volley well, hits big on her ground strokes and moves well on the court.”
But the up-and-coming Filipina tennis wonder just wouldn’t be denied.
After Herlina dominated the first frame, rains suddenly washed out the court, leaving tournament organizers no recourse but to move the match-up indoors.
The abrupt break nearly took an hour and Tanpoco gamely pounced on the opportunity to make the needed adjustments.
Trailing 4-5 in the second set, Tanpoco utilized his effective serving to the hilt, taking the next two points–capped by a crisp backhand down the line–to take the frame and force a deciding set.
With momentum now clearly on her side, Tanpoco raced to a 3-to-nothing lead but Herlina strongly fought back and forged a 3-all count. The Filipina, however, sustained her aggressiveness in attacking the Indonesian, grabbing a 5-3 lead. In the ninth game and trailing 15-40, Herlina sailed a forehand long to the baseline, enabling Tanpoco to seize the crown.
“Her first reaction was to cry in happiness and was speechless because she never though this can happen to her,” related Tecson.
Meanwhile, Alberto Lim Jr. also shared the spotlight by teaming up with hometown bet Rohan Kamdar in beating the pair of Chinese Taipei’s Li-Lun Lee and Kuan-Chen Lin 6-4, 2-6, (10-8) for the boy’s doubles title.
Although unseeded, Lim and Kamdar gave the third-ranked duo of Japanese Leo Julien Sebaoun and Malaysia’s Colin Wei Ming Wong the big boot with a 6-2, 6-3 win in the semis before completing their glorious run in the finals.
Tanpoco, who turned 17 last month, has been competing in the ITF juniors circuit for almost a year now. This is her first title.
Lim, at 13 one of the youngest players on tour, previously reached the semifinals of a singles tournament.
