THREE FILIPINAS beat their respective rivals yesterday to complete the singles main draw of the $10,000 Holcim ITF Women’s Circuit 1 which will start tomorrow at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Melissa Orteza clobbered compatriot Kristel Ann Samala, 6-1, 6-2, Trudy Gine Amoranto outclassed American Samantha Baumstark, 6-0, 6-1, and Michelle Pang defeated American Marie Zalameda, 6-3, 6-0.
With their victories, they will be joining local wild cards Anja Vanessa Peter, Czarina Mae Arevalo, Noelle Conchita Corazon Zoleta, Aileen Rogan and No. 19 seed Denise Dy in the next round.
Also earning main draw slots in this ITF Grand Slam Development Fund event offering US$1,600 to the champion were Israeli Erafat Zlotikamin, Hong Kong-China’s Chan Wing Yau and Zhang Li, Briton Rachael Hall and American Maureen Diaz.
World’s No. 852 Riza Angela Zalameda, a standout of the University of California Los Angeles who will banner the Philippine women’s tennis team in the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games, is seeded No. 6 in this event behind Korean Lyoo-Suh Hee Sun (697), Briton Rebecca Fong (708), Korean Lee Jin-A (741), Thai Pichittra Thongdach (762) and Taiwanese Chen Yi (776).
Other seeds are Korean Kim Hae-Sung (873), Britons Natasha Khan (902) and Georgie Stoop (904), Taiwanese Chen LuLing (970) and Koreans Bae Hae-Yourn (990) and Lim Sae-Mi (994).
Zalameda, named 2004 Player of the Year by the Los Angeles Times, was born in the US to Filipino parents Rollie and Angie. She was a quarterfinalist in two tournaments in Indianapolis and Baltimore last July. She also reached the doubles semifinals in Alabama, New Mexico and Baltimore.
—Jean MALANUM 
