The coach of Filipino junior tennis star Jeson Patrombon says his ward is ready to take on the professional tennis circuit.
Manny Tecson, who once coached the Philippine Davis Cup team and who has guided Patrombon to a top ten junior world ranking, said they will try to join a couple of professional tournaments after the ongoing 22nd Mitsubishi Lancer International Juniors Tournament.
"Ang tuloy po namin, ang sabi ko dati, magpo-professional po," Tecson said shortly after Patrombon disposed on Patrick Elias in the Round of 32. "And we will follow through on that. And I think Jeson is very eager."
Tecson said he has been constantly advised by fellow coaches in the junior circuit tour to get Patrombon to turn professional. "Ang sabi nila, 'Once your player is in the top ten in the world, those are the guys who turn pro.' So iyon sana ang gusto namin mangyari." Patrombon is currently ranked ninth in the world among junior tennis players.
After the Mitsubishi Lancer tournament, Patrombon will try to make his professional debut by entering two $10,000 ATP tournaments in Thailand, Tecson revealed. "Naka-enter kami ngayon sa Thailand, sa dalawang $10,000 ATP tournaments. We're hoping to gain our first ATP points within the year. After this Mitsubishi, we go straight to Thailand for two weeks."
Thailand's former tennis pro, Paradorn Srichapan, will help Patrombon enter the tournaments, Tecson added. If that plan falls through, they'll vie in India instead. "So I talked to (Paradorn) Srichapan if he could give me a wild card for Jeson, and he said he'll do something about it. But just in case hindi siya makapasok dahil wala siyang ATP points, baka tumuloy kami ng India. Mayroon na kaming backup plan."
The coach believes his pupil is ready and willing to go to the next level. And for someone about to turn 18, Patrombon has shown remarkable maturity, a trait Tecson believes will help him advance quickly at the pro level.
"Progression. It's not just about winning tournaments, but it's also about development, continuous development. Nakikita ko na sa kanya ngayon iyong kanyang maturity, to handle not just the tough opponents but to handle the pressure situations. So he's coming out of it a winner."
If Patrombon succeeds on the pro tour, Tecson believes it will be the spark that will ignite the sport's popularity here.
"The reason why we're doing this is sana ang Philippine tennis matulungan natin. Because that is our main objective and our main goal. Ang sabi ko nga, magkaroon talaga ng genuine interest in tennis. Because tennis is for Filipinos. I've been saying that. We're not big players, we're not tall players. If you've noticed, ang lalaki ng mga kalaban namin. Pero mayroon po tayong puedeng development na tailor-made for the Filipino, na puede nating ilaban doon sa mga malaki. And that would be speed and power. So if Manny Pacquiao can do it in boxing, iyon nga po ang philosophy namin, speed and power, tinatalo niya ang mga malalaki, why not put it in tennis?"
Whatever happens after the ongoing tournament, whether they play in Thailand or India, Team Patrombon will proceed to Europe and vie in the juniors division of either the Italian open or the French Open. ITF rules allow a player to compete both as a junior and a professional at the same time.
"Ang schedule namin ngayon is, 60% juniors and 40% men's para hindi mabigla ang transition," Tecson said. "If we can end the year top ten, baka makakuha na kami ng mga direct acceptance sa mga professional tournaments. Because iyon po ang ina-award ng ITF sa mga promising juniors. If they are top ten, bibigyan na sila ng wild card automatically. It really helps a lot when you're turning pro."
Patrombon reached the junior quarterfinals in this year's Australian Open, and his coach believes he can equal or even surpass this in the three other Grand Slam tournaments.
"Who knows what can happen in the French Open, or what can happen in Wimbledon, or what can happen in the US Open? Ang nangyayari kay Jeson ngayon, he's becoming an old-court player. I know he can play on clay, I know he can play on grass. But definitely, sanay siya sa hardcourt because ang training facility namin ay hardcourt.
"But ang importante ay ang mindset. Hindi ko siya sinasabihan na para bang specialist ka sa hardcourt. Because if you're going to turn professional, then you have to be willing to play on any surface. Because ang mga pro, walang pinipiling surface. So that's what I want to inculcate in his mind, and unti-unti naman naniniwala siya."
In the past, there have been other promising Filipino youngsters in the junior tennis circuit. However, many of them, such Nino Alcantara and Maricris Fernandez, opted to accept tennis scholarships in the United States instead of pursuing a professional career. This is something Patrombon will avoid doing, Tecson said.
"Tignan ninyo iyong logic," he explained. "You spend a lot of money travelling, competing abroad. You train so hard, and then you get a high world ranking in juniors. Tapos mag-co-college ka ngayon sa States. What's that for?"
"Ang sa amin, naniniwala kami sa kakayahan ng Filipino," Tecson continued. "To be honest with you, I think we've gained the respect of our peers here. And really, si Jeson, halos lahat ng nakakalaban niya dito, may respeto sa kanya. And I believe iyon ang ingredients na pwede kang mag-professional. Actually, some of these players here, nag-champion na sa mga professional tournaments. May mga ATP ranking na iyan. Kanya iyong mga tinatalo niya, nag-champion na sa mga men's (tournament) rin. So kung ikaw ang nasa itaas, at sila nananalo na doon, then definitely we have to go forward." (Sid Ventura, Sportsaholic - Mon. March 28, 2011).
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