Christel Fuentespina absorbed a 21–15, 15–21, 19–21 loss to top seed Naishaa Kaur Bathoye of India, ending her bold bid in the women’s U-19 singles event of the inaugural Philippine Junior International Series on Friday at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.

Despite having represented the Philippines in international tournaments before, the current Philippine No. 2 in women’s singles still walked away with a milestone. Making her debut in the International Series, Fuentespina secured a top-eight finish in the tournament, marking another step forward in her young career. “I am still happy with my performance because I got to play the No. 1 seed. I did my best and it was a great opportunity,” she said.

“It was still a big thing for me because it was my first time joining in the International Series, So, this is an achievement. This will help boost my confidence level since I am coming off an injury,” she added.

Bathoye will face Thailand’s Kungkaew Kakanik, who dispatched Australia’s Simithri Adepu, 21–6, 21–13, for a spot in the final and a chance to become the inaugural champion of the tournament.