Venz Alforque and Jules Lazaro played up to hype Thursday and booked finals tickets to the boys’ 18-under class in the 29th Andrada Cup age-group tennis tournament at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Alforque, the top seed from Cebu, posted a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Darrylon Alano while Lazaro, the No. 2 seed from Malabon, advanced by beating Genemar Gerrick Zuno, 6-3, 6-1.
They will dispute the title Friday, the final day of the country’s longest-running grassroots tennis tournament put up by former tennis association president Salvador Andrada.
Lazaro, who turned 16 last October, was first to advance to the finals then spent time watching Alforque, a player he had never seen before, in action.
“All I know is that he’s the top seed and he’s a hard-hitter and that he’s also entered in the 16-under, a double entry,” said Lazaro of Alforque.
In the girls’ 18-under class, top seed Melanie Faye Dizon defeated Virvien Bejosano, 6-0, 6-2, to arrange a semifinal date with Gab Zoleta, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Bianca Pica.
Also in the semifinals are Jhastine Red Ballado, who outlasted No. 4 Trace Llamas, 6-2, 2-6, 10-8, and Althea Fay Ong, who stunned No. 2 Angelica Alacala, 6-2, 6-1.
In the 14-under class, advancing to the boys’ semifinals were No. 1 Marc Andrei Jarata versus No. 5 Jude Hidaldo and No. 3 Exequiel Jucutan versus No. 2 Axl Lajon Gonzaga. In the girls’ side, in the finals are the top two seeds, Khyshana Brazal and Angeline Alacala.
Semifinalists in the boys’ 12-under are Lukas Yupangco vs Darwin Cosca and Sherwin Rey Nuguit vs Brent So. In the girls’ division, they are (Angeline) Alacala vs Airies Jean Tanawan and Krisha Mae Bolilan vs Marielle Jarata.
Vying for the 10-under unisex crown are Kean Sebastian Enriquez and Kriz Roque Lim. Semifinal matches in the boys’ and girls’ 16-under were still being played as of press time.