Pinoysport.com | Philippine Sports News Blog | Filipino Athletes » Tennis

Basketball Diplomacy: Yao Ming to help thaw frosty Philippine-China relations

pinoysport — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:16:08 +0000

A planned exhibition match between a PBA selection and a Chinese team owned by NBA star Yao Ming has Manila and Beijing hoping to build up some goodwill after weeks of tension over the Scarborough Shoal.

Just shut up and fight, guys

pinoysport — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:05:59 +0000

Further proof that we shouldn’t care what athletes think. Boxing great Manny Pacquiao says he doesn’t support same sex marriage, though he apparently supports gay people.

MVP’s invite for Gwen fuels talk of support

pinoysport — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:18:44 +0000

CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia declined to say yesterday whether business tycoon Manuel V

DBC’s Gerali joins U22 coaching staff

pinoysport — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:33:56 +0000

THE Philippine Under-22 team has started its preparations for the qualifying round of the AFC Under-22 Asian Cup from June 23 to July 3 at Myanmar. The team conducted tryouts for provincial…

Palaro opening ceremonies festive, bright

pinoysport — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:20:25 +0000

LINGAYEN, Philippines – Palarong Pambansa has officially begun. While the first games of the prestigious nationwide sporting event started Sunday, May 6 , the opening ceremonies did not take place until the morning of Monday, May 7, to await the presence of President Benigno Aquino III.

Eye on the football: NCR captains set goals

pinoysport — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:51:10 +0000

MANILA, Philippines – Many people see football as pure entertainment and fad. Some see it as a hobby or a way of spending their leisure time.

Promising badminton athletes soar

pinoysport — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:47:11 +0000

MANILA, Philippines – There are those who believe that people have to be born great to be recognized. Then there’s Sarah and Jonathan — two kids who prove that greatness is a product of cultivation.

A badminton legacy: 2 generations of Palaro

pinoysport — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:54:31 +0000

MANILA, Philippines – WWGBA, a badminton academy in Las Piñas, now has 200 students from the 4 that they started training 6 years ago. They have produced previous Palarong Pambansa champions, and this year they are sending 5 players to represent NCR. Father William Gabuelo and …

Big adjustments await PH netters

pinoysport — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:28:07 +0000

source: Kristel Satumbaga | mb.com.ph

Filipino Davis Cuppers lined up for the Group I first-round tie against Pacific Oceania in February will have no choice but to step up now that Fil-American veteran Cecil Mamiit has been assigned as a non-playing captain.

Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) Vice President Randy Villanueva said that Treat Huey, another Fil-Am, must be ready to fill in the void left by the 35-year-old Mamiit.

“Malaking changes ang mangyayari with the team. Treat has to be ready to play in singles and doubles matches when necessary,” said Villanueva, who is also the PH Davis Cup administrator.

Villanueva added that Mamiit, who has been the heart and soul of the team for the past six years, always steps up to steer the squad in the three-day, best-of-five ties.

Villanueva recalled an instance during its meeting with Taiwan last September when the Fil-Am netter dropped a marathon five-setter that lasted for four hours in the opening tie and came back the next day for another five-setter with Huey in doubles.

Another instance was in the relegation playoff against New Zealand last July, where Mamiit played the opening singles, the doubles match and the reverse singles.

Villanueva said Gonzales, also a Fil-Am, also has to step up with Huey to steer the squad while local bet Johnny Arcilla and former PH top junior netter Jeson Patrombon must be ready to play at all times.

“All of them will have a chance to get more playing time,” Villanueva said.

It would be the first time that the Filipinos would be facing Pacific Oceania, a squad which represents the island nations of Oceania.

Pacific Oceania is currently composed of Cyril Jacobe of Vanuatu, Brett Baudinet of Cook Islands, Juan Sebastian Langton of Samoa and Michael Leong of Solomon Islands.

They have never gone as far as Group I since competing in 1995, although Villanueva said most of the members are actively competing in ATP and ITF tournaments abroad.

SEA Games: Patrombon changes mind about ‘call of duty’

pinoysport — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:23:51 +0000

source: gmanews.tv

It turned out the Southeast Asian Games could wait after all for Jeson Patrombon.

The 18-year-old Patrombon, through his personal coach Manny Teson, hinted at heeding the call of duty on Monday and expressed his desire to withdraw from the Thailand F5 Futures tournament in Phuket in favor of a flight back home to join the national team in training for the 26th Sea Games in Indonesia.

But Patrombon still competed in the tournament, winning his first-round match at the expense Thailand’s Grittaboon Prahmanee, 6-2, 6-1. His next opponent will be another Thai, Warit Sornbutnark, on Wednesday in the tournament that offers International Tennis Federation (ITF) points.

National team head coach Randy Villanueva has asked Patrombon to return to Manila and join his teammates in their last-stretch practice at home for the SEA Games.

“We are willing to sacrifice a possible good finish in both singles and doubles here in the Thailand Men’s Futures in favor of the Philippine team,” Tecson said the other day.

“I have already informed Jeson’s doubles partner Denis Lajola of the situation. Jeson and Dennis actually have a good chance to reach at least the semifinals or even the finals in the doubles because their draw is very favorable, plus the last time they teamed up they managed to reach the semifinals of the Laos Futures.”

But things turned out otherwise.

Patrombon remains outside the top 1,000 rankings in the world but with the points at stake in Thailand, he could break the top 800 after the tournament, according to Tecson.

The SEA Games tennis tournament in Palembang doesn’t start until Sunday, but Patrombon’s teammates are expected to leave Manila for Indonesia on Thursday.

“Jeson is in great form and all our training and practices are proving to be the key elements in his matches,” said Tecson. “This will again pick up his ranking and who knows if he does well here in the second leg he might break the top 800 world rankings after this tournament.”

“Mentally, Jeson is getting stronger in every match he is playing and I believe he can reach his first quarterfinals in the Pro circuit,” said Tecson. “This will be a big psychological and confidence booster for the young kid because it will be his first time this year to break into the quarters of singles.”

Patrombon will also vie in the doubles in Thailand on Wednesday with Lajola. They will face Filipino Marc Reyes and Belgian Mark Kolenberg. Reyes bowed out of the singles tournament, losing to Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. — JVP, GMA News