Pinay netters wiped out by foreign rivals

MANILA, Philippines - Wild card entries Anna Christine Patrimonio, Tamitha Nguyen and Marian Jade Capadocia crashed out early in Week One of ICTSI-International Tennis Federation, losing to their respective foreign rivals at the Rizal Tennis Center yesterday.

Patrimonio, the country’s former No. 1 player, was the first to fall after getting clobbered by a power-hitting Katharina Lenhert of Germany, 0-6, 0-6.

Nguyen, coming off a victory in Vietnam a couple of weeks ago, won two games but was still overpowered by another German qualifier in Jessica Sabeshinskaya, who pounded out a 6-2, 6-0 victory to advance in the tournament sponsored by ICTSI.

Capadocia, meanwhile, dragged Indian Nimisha Mohan, also a qualifier, into a three-set duel but faded out in the end as she absorbed a 5-7, 6-3, 1-6 beating.

That leaves Marinel Rudas, who reached the quarterfinal round in the Brunei ITF Junior Circuit recently, as the lone Filipina hopeful although she will have to hurdle a tough Korean qualifier Kim Jung Eun in the last of the two-day first round matches today to advance in the $10,000 tournament.

In the other singles’ matches, Luksika Kumkum of Thailand turned back Kim Hae Sung of Korea, 6-4, 6-4, while Tomoko Dokei trounced qualifier Zhou Ya of China, 6-4, 6-3.