Angara, Jucutan reach doubles finals in Malaysia tennis tourney

DOUBLES FINALISTS. Filipinos Edgardo Manuel Angara (left) and Exequiel Jucutan made it to the championship round of the boys’ doubles of the PREC 14 and Under Championships in Selangor, Malaysia on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Angelica Alcala/PNA)

MANILA — Edgardo Manuel Angara and Exequiel Jucutan defeated Muk Chau Jiang and Curtis Hong Tseng Tan of Hong Kong, 6-3, 6-0, to reach the boys’ singles championship round of the PREC 14 and Under Championships at the Kelana Jaya Tennis Complex in Selangor, Malaysia on Friday.

The Filipino pair will be up against top seeds Vishal Prakash of India and Lin En Tan of Malaysia, who scored a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Si-hoo Kim and Seung-min Park of South Korea in the other semifinal match.

Angara and Jucutan downed wild cards Pavel Liam Thadani and Jayden Ye Li Wong of Malaysia, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

Prakash and Tan, on the other hand, advanced to the Final Four after beating Filipinos Axl Lajon Gonzaga and Marc Andrei Jarata, 6-3, 6-4.

In the boys’ singles category, Jucutan bowed to sixth seed Woo-hyuk Chang of South Korea, 3-6, 1-6, while Jarata lost to qualifier Muk Chau Jiang of Hong Kong, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 2-6, in the second round.

Meanwhile, Chang stunned top seed Quang Duong of Malaysia, 6-4, 6-4, to arrange a semifinal showdown with Park, who posted a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Muk Chau Jiang of Hong Kong.

The other semifinal match will feature fifth seed Tae-wan Joo against wild card Si-hoo Kim of South Korea.

Joo scored a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 upset win over third seed Lin En Tan, while Kim survived seventh seed Zaman, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2.

In the girls’ singles category, Tiffany Claire Nocos and Marielle Alexi Jarata lost their second-round matches in the Grade A tournament sanctioned by the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF).

Nocos absorbed a 1-6, 2-6 loss to top seed Lim Lim Zan Ning of Malaysia, while Jarata surrendered to third seed Cheuk Ying Shek of Hong Kong, 2-6, 0-6.

Meanwhile, Ji-woo Choi of South Korea and Erica Hagi of Hong Kong downed their seeded opponents to march on to the semifinal round.

Choi ousted third seed Cheuk Ying Shek of Hong Kong, 6-1, 6-1, to advance against top seed Lim Lim Zan Ning of Malaysia, who prevailed over compatriot Jo-Leen Saw, 6-1, 6-0.

Hagi pulled off a 7-6 (2), 6-1 win over fourth seed Sze Xuan Lim to forge a semifinal duel with second seed Gio Jang of South Korea, who demolished fifth seed Iman Syuhada Abdullah of Malaysia, 6-0, 6-0.

In the girls’ doubles category, Nocos and Nina Angeline Alcala fell to fourth seeds Choi and Shruuthi Khanna Madhavakannan of India, 3-6, 1-6, in the quarterfinal round.

Jarata and partner Diana Melati Fahrol Rodzi of Malaysia also failed to advance after losing to third seeds Shihomi Li Xuan Leong and Sze Xuan Lim of Malaysia, 1-6, 3-6.

Leong and Lim made it to the championship round after posting a 7-5, 6-3 win over top seeds Ning and Shek in the semifinal round.

Leong and Lim will face second seeds Hagi and Jang, who won by default over Choi and Madhavakannan.