Unheralded Elijah Guillermo hacked out a 6-2, 6-4 victory over second seed Dan Mates to barge into the semifinal round of the boys’ premier division in the PPS-PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez Open Championships at the Brent Tennis Center in Biñan, Laguna last weekend.
Guillermo rode on a pair of lopsided triumphs over Gene Zuno (4-0, 4-0) and Jefferson Planilla (4-0, 2-0 ret.) to topple Mates and arrange a Final Four duel with Laurenz Quitara, who gained with a 1-0 ret. win over Stephen Catipon.
Top seed Leyton Portin and No. 4 Jester Ocio forged a clash in the upper bracket with the former thwarting Terrell Arejola, 7-5, 6-3, and the latter holding off Jason Camanting, 6-4, 6-2, in 18-U play of the two weekend tournament kicking off the second half of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis season.
Lance Fernandez also scored a 1-0 ret. victory over injured top seed Exequiel Jucutan to seal a semis faceoff with No. 4 Allen Rombawa, who foiled Kurt Balela, 3-6, 6-0, 10-1, while No. 2 Thomas Bernardo took a 2-6, 5-2 ret. win over Keno Enriquez for a duel with fifth ranked Sai Lago, who stopped Ocio, 6-3, 6-1, in the 16-U side of the event held in honor of healing priest Fr. Suarez, a tennis buff.
