AFTER an impressive performance abroad, Cebuano junior netter Arthur Craig Pantino climbed to the top of the 16-under boys’ category of the Philippine Tennis Association (PhilTA) rankings released on Tuesday night.
The 15-year-old Pantino, who was ranked 16th in the Thamrin Cup International Junior Championships held in Indonesia last week, made it all the way to the semifinals by registering upset wins over third-ranked Christian Edison, 6-1, 6-2, and seventh-ranked Tonkla Moda, 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-4, before losing in the penultimate round to Japan’s Rimpei Kawakami, 2-6, 0-6.
Pantino will be competing today in the AGS International Champs 2016 also in Indonesia.
Naga City’s Venz Alforque and Marc Nicole Suson were both ranked fifth in the 14-under and 16-under boys’ divisions, respectively, while Cesar Kristoffer Salimbangon made it to tenth place in the 12-years under boys’ category.
University of San Carlos (USC) ace Shyne Villareal and Lapu-Lapu City’s Tiffany Claire were the only Cebuanas who made it into the top ten as they placed eighth in the 18-under and 12-under girls’, respectively.