Pantino tries luck in Sarawak tennis tournament

Pantino is the highest ranked Filipino in the ITF world juniors at No. 208. After Malaysia, he will compete in the China 6 Juniors tournament to be held at the Sichuan International Tennis Center from March 27-31. (PNA photo)

MANILA — Cebuano Arthur Craig Pantino hopes to bounce back from his second-round loss in Thailand when he competes Wednesday afternoon in the ongoing 31st Chief Minister’s Cup at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association Center in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak state in Malaysia.

The 16-year-old Pantino made an early exit at the PTT-ITF Junior Grade 1 tournament in Nonthaburi, Thailand last week when he was eliminated by sixth seed Jonas Forejtek of Czech Republic, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round.

The Filipino won his first-round match against Australian Stefan Storch, 7-6 (6), 6-0. “I gave my best in the match. I lost to a very good player,” said Pantino in an interview on Tuesday.

Forejtek, who is currently No. 40 in the world juniors rankings, defeated China’s Mo Ye Cong (6-2, 7-5), Japan’s Seita Watanabe (6-4, 6-1) before losing to compatriot, Dalibor Svrcina, 3-6, 2-6, in the semifinal round.

Svrcina, ranked No. 36, went on to win the title after Briton Jack Draper retired after the first set. The score was 6-4.

Pantino is the highest ranked Filipino in the ITF world juniors at No. 208. After Malaysia, he will compete in the China 6 Juniors tournament to be held at the Sichuan International Tennis Center from March 27-31.

“I am determined to improve my world ranking so I can compete in the US Open Juniors in September,” said Pantino, a Grade 9 student at the Seibo College in Malabon City.

Pantino is accompanied by former Philippine Davis Cupper Jun Toledo, who serves as coach of the Philippine Tennis Academy (PTA) which is sponsoring the Cebuano’s international trips.

The PTA is headed by long-time tennis patron Romeo Chan, who has supported many former national players such as Bobbie Angelo and Camoy Palahang. Also training with PTA are SEA Games and Fed Cup veteran Khim Iglupas; Davis Cup player John Bryan Otico and promising players Shaira Hope Rivera, Bliss Bayking, and Sydney Ezra Enriquez.

Last January, Pantino joined the Hong Kong International Tennis Federation (ITF) Juniors Championships where he won the doubles title with Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej. The Cebuano, however, lost his semifinal match to Chinese Taipei’s Chang-lin Tsai, 2-6, 2-6, in the singles.

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.

In October 2017, Pantino pocketed the doubles title with Beibit Zhukayev of Kazakhstan in the 1st ITF Perlis Junior Championships in Malaysia.