ON TRACK. Second seed Marc Andrei Jarata of La Union marched on to the boys' 14-under semifinal round after beating No. 6 Prince Patrick Salvacion of Quezon, 6-2, 6-4, in the Andrada Cup at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on Friday (Jan. 4, 2019). (PNA photo by Jess Escaros)
MANILA -- Unseeded Jenaila Prulla scored a 6-1, 6-2 upset win over fourth-seed Rhyshana Brazal to earn a semifinal berth in the girls' 16-under category of the 2019 Andrada Cup at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on Friday.
Prulla, who was born in Quezon City but is now residing in Bulacan, will be up against No. 1 Althea Fay Ong, who posted a 6-2, 7-5 victory over No. 7 Angeline Alcala in their quarterfinal match.
"I think I played well today," said the 13-year-old Prulla, who won the Batang Pinoy National Finals in Baguio City last year.
Prulla, a Grade 8 student at the First City Providential College in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, also reached the Final Four in the 14-under category of the tournament organized by the Philippine Tennis Association in honor of its former president, Salvador Andrada.
The fourth-seeded Prulla posted a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 11-9 win over Alexa Joy Milliam to advance against fourth-seed Annika Diwa, who ousted top-seed Marielle Alexi Jarata, 6-3, 6-0, in the quarterfinal.
"I don't want to be overconfident. I'll just do what I can to beat her," said Prulla, who lost to Diwa in the semifinal of the 2018 Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association (CLARAA) tournament in Bataan.
Prulla, whose elder brother Chris Justine plays for the National University tennis team, bagged the 14-under title in the prestigious Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open Juniors and the PSC-PHILTA Age Group Championships last year.
In the boys' 12-under category, second seed Kriz Lim of Pangasinan defeated Reign Maravilla, 6-0, 6-0, to forge a semifinal duel with fourth seed Kean Sebastian Enriquez, who advanced after pulling off a 6-1, 6-0 win over Gavin Kraut in their quarterfinal match.
Unranked Chad Connor Cuizon eliminated No. 1 Prince Patrick Lim, 6-4, 6-0, to advance against while fifth seed Samuel Salazar, who prevailed third-seed John Kendrick Bona, 6-0, 6-1.
In the boys' 14-under category, No. 2 Marc Andrei Jarata of La Union defeated No. 6 Prince Patrick Salvacion of Quezon, 6-2, 6-4, to advance in the semifinal round where he will meet fourth-seed Darwin Cosca Jr., a 6-1, 6-1 winner over No. 7 Lukas Yupangco.
In the boys' 16-under category, John David Velez and Ezequiel Jucutan sent their respective seeded rivals packing to set up a semifinal showdown.
Velez, who hails from Davao City, toppled second seed Jude Hidalgo of Ilocos Sur, 6-4, 6-2, while Jucutan outplayed fourth-seed Rupert Ohrelle Tortal of Surigao City, 4-6, 6-4, 11-9.
Velez, the 14-under champion two years ago, also booked a semis seat in the 18-under category after beating Joshua Molina, 6-2, 6-1. He will face second-seed Stefano Gurria, who won over Laurens Quitara, 6-2, 7-5.
Hidalgo bounced back in the 18-under category, posting a 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 win over Juan Pablo Gonzaga to secure a semifinal ticket. He will be up against the sixth-ranked Tortal, who won over third-seed Loucas Fernandez, 6-2, 7-6 (2).
Meanwhile, the other semifinal match in the boys' 16-under category will feature top-seed Axl Lajon Gonzaga, who survived No. 7 Edgardo Manuel Angara, 5-7, 7-5, 10-6, and No. 19 Marco Macalintal, who conquered Stephen Catipon, 6-2, 6-3. (PNA)
