Makati city: Top seed Tennielle Madis overpowered South Korean Kim Rae Youn, 6-1, 6-0, in the first round of the J60 PHINMA International Junior Tennis Championships Week 1 at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.
According to Philippines News Agency, the 18-year-old Madis, currently ranked No. 203 in the world junior rankings, attributed her strong performance to her recent participation in the Billie Jean King Cup. "I had a good game today, having played in the Billie Jean King Cup three weeks ago helped me a lot in preparing for this tournament," Madis said. Her victory has set her up for a second-round match against Japanese player Reyna Geisler, who defeated local player Sandra Bautista with scores of 7-5, 6-1.
Madis expressed her determination for the upcoming matches, stating, "I'll just do my best. I'll give it all, every point." Born and raised in M'lang, North Cotabato, Madis is looking forward to the next round with confidence.
In other matches, No. 7 seed Stefi Marithe Aludo easily defeated Singaporean Emma Lam Singh Maan, 6-0, 6-1. Qualifier Mitchellen Alexa Cruspero also secured a second-round berth by overcoming Dakshanasree SR of India in a challenging match, ending with scores of 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Aludo is set to face Filipino wild card Louraine Jallorina, who achieved a come-from-behind victory against Korean Kim Seo-Youn with scores of 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Cruspero, a native of Tayasan town in Negros Oriental, will compete against No. 8 seed Chiang Yen-Ni of Chinese Taipei, who won against South Korean Lee Mi Na, 6-0, 6-3.
Other first-round victors include No. 2 Aoi Watanabe, No. 3 Choo Yesung of South Korea, No. 4 Tsai Yu-ning of Chinese Taipei, No. 5 Chen Yuhan of China, No. 6 Haritha Shree Venkatesh of India, No. 8 Chiang Yen-Ni of Chinese Taipei, Taylah Lessue of Australia, Lara Rauti of Hong Kong, Park Seojin of South Korea, and Christina Hansman of Sweden.
Meanwhile, Alexandra Eala, a rising star in the tennis world, encouraged her fellow Filipinos to excel in the tournament she won in 2018. During the opening ceremony, Eala shared her hopes for the participants: "I hope that all of you can do your best in every match. This tournament meant a lot to me because it was at home." Eala, currently ranked No. 56 in the world, emphasized the significance of each tournament in her career and expressed her gratitude for the support from the Philippine tennis community.
