Eala, Martin gain Andrada semis

MANILA, Philippines – Young guns Alexandra Eala and Jake Martin trounced their respective opponents to barge into the semifinals of the 27th Andrada Cup age-group tennis championships yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Playing in the girls’ 16-under division, the 10-year-old Eala shocked second seed Miles Vitaliano, 6-4, 6-2, to progress in the division littered with older, bigger campaigners in the annual meet in honor of longtime tennis chief and Philippine Sports Commissioner Salvador “Buddy” Andrada.

The lefty fifth-grader from Colegio San Agustin will face Gabby Zoleta in the semis, 6-7 (8-6), 6-1, 10-7 winner over Blanche Lagrisola in the other quarters match, for the right to make the finals of the premier category.

Eala, who started playing at age four, last year donned the tricolors in the junior Southeast Asian championships and captured the 14-U division of the recent PSC-Philta national age-group championships.

Sharing the spotlight was 15-year-old Martin, who routed Gabriel Tiamson, 6-1, 6-1, to make the Final Four in the boys’ 16-U of the tourney sponsored by the Philippine Tennis Association and the Philippine Sports Commission.