Pinoy netters face tough test in US

MANILA, Philippines - Junior standouts Albert Lim Jr. and Tami Nguyen brace for a tough outing as they compete in a Level 2 tournament in Anaheim, California this weekend.

Lim, 12, is seeking a follow-up to his victories in the 14-and-under division in the recent Pacific Coast Tennis Championship where he beat American top seed Chase Lipscomb for the singles title – his ninth in the season.

He also teamed up with Robert Baylen to claim his fourth doubles crown after completing a golden double in the Milo Technifibre and Tru-Flex Age-Group tournaments earlier this year.

The Letran freshman made history in the Milo age-group tournament last May when he became the youngest player to win the 18-years-old title.

Nguyen, on the other hand, is out to improve on her runner-up finish in the women’s Open division.

Both Nguyen and Lim are products of the elite program of the Philippine Tennis Academy headed by Romy Chan. The two along with David Vorbeck have been training at the Lizardo Tennis Academy in Los Angeles since last month through the support of Oscar Hilado, Jean Henry Lhuillier, Romy Chan, Hanky Lee, Fr. Fernando Suares and former stars Felix Barrientos and Raymund Suarez.

The academy is headed by former Philippine standout Joseph Lizardo.