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Riyadh Community

SIMOLDE, DE LOEN & FLORES ADVANCE IN LITT TOP FLIGHT SINGLES
By Parwaiz Imam

Riyadh, Feb. 13, 2000 – City favorite Helen Simolde, ranked second and defending champion of the Ladies International Tennis Tournament beat Syrian Ronda Tufenkeji with 6-0, 6-2 score. The first round match of Flight-A went in favor of the victor early as she dominated the game with strong groundstrokes and accurate ball placements.
In the other first round matches in the same category held at the recreation facility of the King Fahad National Guard Hospital, third-seed Binky de Leon of the Philippines, who was runner up to Simolde in last year’s LITT, also started her campaign strongly by defeating in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 her Thai opponent Janya Smith. Filipina Helen Flores, seeded fourth, knocked compatriot Jo Alimpuangon out of the competition also in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. Alimpuangon, the third LITT’s champion of Flight B, matched the consistency of Flores, but visibly looked tired in the middle of the first set to allow her opponent to dictate the tempo. The top seed of Flight A, Carmen Dela Rosa, who is debuting in this tourney, meets De Leon in the semi-final match, while Simolde takes on Flores next, in what pundits describe as most exciting matches to watch.
Of action in the other categories, Joy Siongco had a tough time against newcomer Sarah Al-Turki 6-3, 6-4 in the Class B. British Catherine Garret overwhelmed Johara Espejon 6-1, 6-3 in the first round, then upset top seed Evangeline Suarez of KFSH in another display of power tennis, 6-2, 6-1. Mehlot Baltazar of King Khalid University Hospital outlasted SFH’s Fanny Minas 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 in over three hours of exciting match at the Lockheed Compound.
In class C2 category, Dallah Hospital’s Sally Clemente won against South African Esrine Zander in the first round in a tense three sets encounter, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Teen-ager Maica Quilacio, one of two young sisters debuting in the tournament, overcame early jitters to register an impressive 7-5, 6-0 victory against another KFNGH newcomer Rowena Paglinawan, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Brenda Teatro of Riyadh Military Hospital in the first round. Nanette Maynes of KKESH, also in her maiden attempt here, edged out Susan Gatchalian of KFNGH in a nail-biting finish. The match lasted three hours, with the two splitting the first two sets 6-3, 3-6, and the third set, decided through a tie-break, went in favor of Maynes 7-6 (7-5).
The tournament is sponsored by Abuljadayel Beverages, Inc, maker of BISON Energy Drink. Other co-sponsors include Anseri Cargo Services and SARAWAT Superstore. The Riyadh Team Tennis League (RTTL) Chairman Farouk El-Laithy acts as an advisor.
The executive committee managing the show is headed by M. Lector. The theme of this ongoing fourth gala is discipline and excellence through the sports of tennis. Other officers of the committee are J. Estero, Vice-Chairperson, External; M. Tuquiero, Vice-Chairperson, Internal; A. Gutierrez, Secretary-General; H. Simolde, Treasurer; E. Rodriguez, Auditor; A.Robles, B.Vasquez, PROs and N. Eugenio, Technical Committee Chairman.