By Jean Malanum
MANILA – National team member Stefi Marithe Aludo downed third seed Gwen Emily Kurniawan of Indonesia, 6-1, 6-3, Tuesday in the girls’ singles of the Oscar J. Hilado J60 World Tennis Championship Week 2 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Aludo, a bronze medalist in doubles and team events at the 2025 SEA Games, needs two more wins in Group C of the round-robin preliminaries to advance to the quarterfinals.
“I’m happy to win my first match; hopefully, I’ll make it to the next round,” Aludo, an incoming college freshman at the University of Hawaii, said.
In the first leg, the fifth seed Aludo bowed to eventual champion Korean Yerin Lee in the quarterfinals but secured the doubles title with Philippine Tennis Academy teammate Louraine Jallorina.
Local Mikaela Rose Ngu also hurdled her first match in Group C, whipping Krissana Rodprasert of Thailand, 6-0, 6-2.
In Group E, local Jana Jelena Nicole Diaz trounced American Sofia Bartolata, 6-0, 6-3, and fifth seed Kimika Fukui of Japan outplayed local Kathlyn Ann Bugna, 6-2, 7-5, in the event offering World Tennis (formerly International Tennis Federation) points.
Now on its 18th edition, the annual tournament is renamed in honor of the late PHINMA Corp. Chairman Emeritus Oscar J. Hilado in recognition of his lifelong support for and contributions to Philippine tennis.
Past champions include Alexandra Eala, Francis Casey Alcantara, John Bryan Otico, Arthur Craig Pantino, Khim Iglupas, Tennielle Madis and Aludo. (PNA)
