Otico, Pantino reach Phinma netfest semifinal

The top-ranked Filipino pair will be up against third seeds Kei Manaka and Taiyo Yamanaka. (Pixabay photo)

MANILA — Top seed John Bryan Otico and third seed Arthur Craig Pantino downed separate rivals on Friday to reach the semifinal round of the boys’ singles category in the Phinma-PSC International Juniors 2 at the Manila Polo Club indoor clay courts in Makati City.

Otico defeated fifth seed Indonesian Odeda Muhammad Arazza, 6-4, 6-1, to advance against fourth seed Japanese Taiyo Yamanaka, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over compatriot Kei Manaka.

Pantino, on the other hand, rallied past Japanese Ryota Ishii, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3, to arrange a semifinal duel with second seed Japanese Shunsuke Mitsui, who won over sixth seed Filipino Michael Francis Eala, 6-0, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Otico and Pantino advanced to the doubles final round after posting a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over fourth seeds Ryota Ishii and Shunsuke Mitsui of Japan.

The top-ranked Filipino pair will be up against third seeds Kei Manaka and Taiyo Yamanaka after the Japanese tandem eliminated second seeds Malaysian Darrshan Suresh and Indonesian Odeda Muhammad Arazza, 7-5, 6-0 in the semifinal.

In the girls’ doubles category, second seeds Punnin Kovapitukted of Thailand and Saki Oyama of Japan outplayed third seeds Lisa Mays of Australia and Ashley Kei Yim of Singapore, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the championship round.

Mays and Yim will face Filipino Shaira Hope Rivera and American Elizabeth Stevens, 6-0, 6-4 winners over Americans Nicole Hammond and Aesha Patel in the semifinal.

Pantino and Eala were crowned boys’ doubles champions while Hammond and Stevens won the girls’ doubles title in the Phinma-PSC International Juniors 1 last week.