Cebuano netter Pantino to compete in Hong Kong

FILE: Filipino Junior Tennis Player Arthur Craig Pantino (Photo: Arthur Craig Pantino/Facebook)

MANILA — Cebuano Arthur Craig Pantino is set to compete in the Hong Kong International Tennis Federation (ITF) Juniors Championships next week.

In an interview on Tuesday, Pantino said he would leave on Jan. 13 to join the Group 4 tournament that would be held at the Victoria Park Tennis Center outdoor hard court on January 15-20.

Pantino, who is No. 267 in the world juniors rankings, will be accompanied by coaches Jun Toledo and Kenneth Salvo of the Philippine Tennis Academy.

According to the ITF Juniors website, Pantino is the highest ranked player in the main draw. Michael Francis Eala, ranked 557th, is at No. 7.

Other players in the main draw are Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej (352), Chinese Taipei’s Chang-Lin Tsai (373) and Yi Jui Lo (378), Indonesia’s Odeda Muhammad Arazza (450), India’s Sai Karteek Reddy Ganta (578), Hong Kong’s Wai Yu Kai (643), and China’s Zihao Yuan (645).

The 16-year-old Pantino won his first ITF Juniors title in November last year, beating compatriot John Bryan Otico in the final of the Phinma-PSC International Juniors 2 at the Manila Polo Club indoor clay court in Makati City.

Pantino also won back-to-back doubles titles in the two-leg tournament organized by the Philippine Tennis Association. He won the second leg title with Otico while he teamed up with Michael Francis Eala in the first leg.

Last October, Pantino pocketed the doubles title with Beibit Zhukayev of Kazakhstan in the 1st ITF Perlis Junior Championships in Malaysia. (PNA)