FRANCIS Casey Alcantara was left to carry the Philippines Wednesday in the 19th Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The 12th-seeded Alcantara, who drew a first-round bye, beat Maciej Rajski of Poland, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, to enter the third round.

The 16-year-old Alcantara, a multititled junior who was with the Davis Cup training team for the coming relegation tie against Uzbekistan in April, will next meet eighth-seeded Matthew James of Great Britain, who beat Michael Lampa of the United States, 6-0, 6-3.

Alcantara’s win came after compatriot Pablo Olivarez Jr. got the boot.

Olivarez lost to fifth-ranked Kittiphong Wachiramanowong of Thailand, 6-2, 6-2, to join six other Filipinos who were already eliminated in the International Tennis Federation Grade 1 juniors event.

The top seeds breezed past their rivals Wednesday. Top-seeded  Andrew Thomas of Australia dispatched Ben McLachlan of New Zealand, 6-3, 6-3; No. 2 Borut Puc of Slovenia won over Dino Dellorto of Hong Kong, 6-4, 6-3; No. 3 Mark Verryth of Australia beat Riki McLachlan of New Zealand, 6-3, 6-4; and No. 4 Soong-Jae Cho of South Korea defeated Faris Akhazzan of Great Britain, 6-0, 6-1.

No. 6 Hiroki Moriya of Japan beat Jordan Kelly-Houston of New Zealand , 6-1, 6-3; No. 7 Alexander Lobkov of Russia beat qualifier Chun-Ming Yam of Hong Kong, 6-0, 6-2; No. 8 Matthew James defeated Michael Lampa of United States, 6-0, 6-3; and No. 9 Niko Moser of Austria beat Jarryd Chaplin of Australia, 6-0, 6-4.

No. 10 Logan Mackenzie lost to Shuichi Sekiguchi of Japan, 6-1, 7-6 (3); No. 11 Yannick Vandenbulcke of Belarus yielded to Kelsey Stevenson of Canada, 6-3, 6-1; and No. 15 Akash Wagh of India bowed to Dane Propoggia of Australia, 7-5, 6-2, for the day’s minor upsets.

Sudanwa Sitaram of India beat Justin Chak-T To of Hong Kong, 6-3, 6-1; James Duckworth of Australia beat Yuki Matsuo of Japan, 6-2, 6-3; Karunuday Singh of India beat Stephen Hoh of Australia, 6-3, 6-2; and Dane Propoggia of Australia defeated Akash Wagh of India, 7-5, 6-2.

In the girls division, No. 2 Elena Chernyakova of Russia beat Chelsea Te Tai of New Zealand, 6-2, 6-3; Alenka Hubacek of Australia eliminated No. 6 Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine , 6-1, 6-4; and Nicha Lertpitaksinchai of Thailand beat No. 10 Jade Hopper of Australia, 6-2, 6-0.

For Manny, a harvest of honors

Manny Pacquiao achieved another first Tuesday night after he became the only Filipino enshrined into the Flash Elorde Annual Awards at the Manila Hotel.

Luisito’s wish? That he finally gets his purse

REMEMBER Luisito Espinosa?

One of the country’s former two-division world champion is in town after staying in the United States for 10 years.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus does not agree that boxing should be banned in the Philippines, saying the sport has contributed much in giving the country global recognition.

ONE of the top boxing patrons in the country called for the head of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) to step down.

FRANCIS Casey Alcantara was left to carry the Philippines Wednesday in the 19th Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

BURGER KING braces for a big game against Hapee Toothpaste in the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

IT looks like it will be a very busy year for Harbour Centre as far as international competitions are concerned.

CARITO VILLAROMAN assured himself of another stint in the Philippine Open next week after topping the 36-hole qualifying tournament conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) with a closing one-over-par 73 played in another sun-baked Air Force course of the Villamor Golf Club in Pasay City.

EVERY time the country goes through a divisive political crisis such as what we have at present, a Manny Pacquiao fight mercifully takes place to unite all Filipinos under one flag, inside one ring.