Lehnert gains quarters but 3 Pinays succumb

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino-German Katharina Lehnert barged to the quarterfinals yesterday but three Filipinos lost in the second round of 2011 Smart–ITF Women’s Circuit Week 1 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The 18-year-old Lehnert rallied past Japanese Rio Kitagawa, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, to move to the quarterfinals of the tournament sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Philippine Tennis Association.

Kitagawa’s stellar backhand plays turned out so tough for Lehnert to return, but the Fil-German adjusted so well in the final two sets and successfully countered the attacks of the Japanese on the way to win.

“I managed to adjust in the next two sets after being sluggish in the opening set,” said the seventh seed Lehnert, who will meet American Sylvia Krywacz in the quarterfinal round. “It’s getting tougher everyday here. I’m hoping to be in good condition.”

Three Filipinos, though, couldn’t advance in the quarterfinal round of the tournament backed by Smart Sports, International Terminal Container Service Inc. (ICTSI), PHINMA Group of Companies, HEAD, the official balls, Viva Mineral Water, Powerade Energy Drink, Chris Sports and Philippine Sports Commission.

Krywacz earlier defeated Filipino Marian Capadocia, 6-4, 6-1, while Anna Clarisse Patrimonio absorbed setback against Thailand’s third seed Peangtam Plipuench, 1-6, 2-6, and Fil-Vietnamese Tamitha Nguyen fell to India’s Rishika Sunkara, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 1-6.

In other second round results, Jia Xiang Lu of China defeated fellow Chinese Yang Zi, 6-2, 7-6 (4), and fifth seed Jia Jing Lu bashed Hong Kong’s Wing Yau Venise Chan, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, to both make it to the quarterfinals.