Manila: The Philippines finished second overall behind Vietnam in the two-leg International Tennis Federation (ITF) Asia U14 Development Championships (South, Southeast and East Asia) in Cambodia to earn a slot to the finals in 2027.
According to Philippines News Agency, Maristella Torrecampo swept the girls' singles category and reached the doubles semifinal with Ella Paglalunan, who placed ninth in singles. Dubai-based Alexi Luca Rafael Almedita finished third in the first leg and fifth in the second leg in singles, while Marcus Lorenzo Go ranked sixth in singles. They also made it to the doubles semifinals.
"My experience in this tournament was so wonderful and transformative all in all. During this competition, I learned that there are so much things I need to do to improve in my game and a lot of things to work on physically and mentally if I want to get better results should I qualify again," the 13-year-old Paglalunan, the country's No. 2 player in the U14 category, said in an interview Saturday.
Almedita, 13, expressed his enjoyment of the competition and the excitement of playing against both familiar faces and new opponents. "I am grateful to the ITF and ATF (Asian Tennis Federation) for organizing such a unique event where we can compete individually as well as a team, providing aspiring young tennis players like myself another development pathway option," Almedita, who improved to a career-best No. 16 in the ATF U14 rankings, said.
Aldemita placed fifth in the second leg, pulling off a 6-2, 6-0 win over teammate Marcus Lorenzo Go. "I didn't get the results I was really aiming for at the individual level but I think I still managed to finish solid overall in singles, 3rd in the 1st week then 5th in the 2nd week, contributing to our team points and landing us the 2nd position overall," he said.
Go, a first-timer in the tournament like Almedita, said he gained a lot from the Cambodia exposure. "I was able to play and meet new players with different game styles which helped me improve more. Overall, I feel I could have done better playing against these new opponents and look forward to playing with them again. I am grateful for the support of my family and coaches," Go said.
After a brief rest, Aldemita plans to resume training for the World Junior Tennis Championships slated in Vietnam. Competition in the girls' division is scheduled from March 2 to 7, followed by the boys' play on March 9 to 14.
