FILIPINO rising star Maristella Torrecampo clinched the girls’ singles title in the first leg of the ITF Asia U14 Development Championships after defeating Mongolia’s Aissata Enkhzaya Adama, 6-3, 7-5, on Saturday at the Morodok Techno National Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Seeded third in the tournament, the 13-year-old Torrecampo earlier delivered a dominant semifinal performance, sweeping past top seed Binh To of Vietnam, 6-0, 6-1. Adama advanced to the final by eliminating fourth seed Linh Nguyen, 6-3, 6-3.

“The final was really tough,” said Torrecampo, who hails from Naga City, Camarines Sur. “I focused on playing defense and pushing my opponent back so I could control the rallies. I was very nervous, but I stayed composed, just as my coach always reminds me. I’m thankful it paid off.”

Torrecampo also competed in the doubles event alongside Ella Paglalunan, but the third-seeded pair bowed out in the semifinals after a 2-6, 3-6 loss to tournament favorites To and Nguyen. The Vietnamese duo will meet second seeds Zixi Wang and Hannah Tay of Singapore, who advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jannat Howlander and Mastora Afrin.

In the boys’ singles division, fourth seed Alexi Luca Rafael Aldemita fell short of a finals berth after yielding to sixth seed Phu Le of Vietnam, 2-6, 1-6, in the semifinals.

“I felt I had the level to win and reach the finals,” said Aldemita, a Dubai-based Filipino player. “My opponent wasn’t overpowering, but he played with better discipline. I became impatient and didn’t adjust quickly enough.”

Le moved on to face second seed Leon Ho of Singapore, who defeated Vietnam’s Tuan Vu, 6-0, 7-6 (5), in the other semifinal.

In boys’ doubles action, third seeds Le and Vu upset second seeds Aldemita and Marcus Go, 6-2, 6-2, to arrange a championship clash with top seeds Ho and Nicholas Pak, who dominated Bhutan’s Tenzin Dudu and Pelthop Tshering, 6-1, 6-1.

Team captain Gerhard Bernard Mamawal emphasized development over results during the opening leg.

“For the first leg, I removed expectations because they add pressure,” Mamawal said. “We focused on taking it match by match. We’re here for two weeks, and beyond winning, what matters is growth — as players and as individuals.”

The tournament’s awarding ceremony will take place after the second leg, scheduled from February 9 to 13.