Dy, currently ranked No. 77 in the ITF World Juniors, will be seeded fifth behind Khrystyna Antoniychuk of Ukraine (44), Russian Maya Gaverova (50), New Zealand’s Sacha Jones (58) and Australian Tyra Calderwood (73). Other seeds are Thailand’s Varatchaya Wongteanchai (92), Hongkong’s Zijun Yang (98), American Veronica Li (99) and Swiss Stefanie Voegele (100).

Also competing are world’s No. 105 Russian Elena Chernyakova and world’s No. 207 Thai Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, doubles and singles champions in the Salon Pas International Juniors held last week in Indonesia, respectively. Lertcheewakarn also won the singles title in the Neeway International Juniors in Bangladesh last February.

The 16-year-old Dy is currently competing in the Genting ITF Malaysian Junior Championships where she is in the semifinal round.

Dy, born and raised in San Jose, California, won two singles and three doubles titles last year. She was singles champion in the ITF Thailand Open Juniors and Enervon International Juniors and won the doubles in the ITF Thailand Open Juniors (with Fil-German Anja Vanessa Peter), and the Enervon International Juniors and Phinma International Juniors (with FilSpanish Edilyn Balanga Margate). She is a mainstay in the national women’s tennis team.

Meanwhile, more than 100 players from 26 countries are expected to arrive this week for the Mitsubishi netfest which is an ITF-sanctioned Group 1 event for players 18 years old and below.

World-class netters from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Great Britain, Hongkong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine and United States are vying for 100 ITF Junior points to be awarded to the singles champion in both boys and girls divisions. Doubles winners will earn 75 points.

Qualifying rounds will be played on March 25 and 26 while the main draw will begin on March 27.

Wild card nominees are locals Kyle Joshua Dandan, Pablo Olivarez II, Ralph Kevin Barte, Joshua Tan Ho, Raymond Villarete, Mark Jaypee Balce, Leyan Moncera, Akio Sy, Jose Lorenzo Opulencia and Carlos Espedido in the boys division and Noelle Conchita Zoleta, Jessica Marie Agra, Trudy Gine Amoranto, Michelle Pang, Melissa Rose Orteza, Ivy Kristel De Castro, Anna Christine Patrimonio and Sarah Jane Lim in the girls division.

World’s No. 6 Indian Sanam Singh, who reached the third round of this year’s Australian Open Juniors, is the highestranked player in the boys’ division. He won the Mitsubishi Lancer doubles title with compatriot Vivek Shokeen last year.

Seeded second is world’s No. 16 Japanese Sho Aida followed by Taiwanese Lee Hsin-Han (19), Indian Jeevab Nedunchezhiyan (26), Australian James Lemke (31) Russian Artur Chernov (32), New Zealand’s Austen Childs (41), Indian Rupesh Roy (48), Indonesian Faisal Aidil (49), Swiss Dylan Sessagesimi (56) and American Dennis Lajola (58). — JEAN MALANUM