Kirksteen Rebuyas, a 17-year-old Filipino teenager based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has received offers to play in the United States, the news site Gulf News said on Friday.
Gulf News said Rebuyas has the chance to revive the Philippines' 59-year "slumber" in the sport.
The report noted that the two consecutive quarterfinal finishes in the French Open in 1952 and 1953 by the late Feliscimo Ampon had been the Philippines’ highest accolade in tennis.
Now, the young Rebuyas has the chance to join the likes of compatriot and current ATP World No. 878 Ruben Gonzales on the tennis circuit, the report said.
Rebuyas, presently the United Arab Emirates' No. 1 at boys' U18 and U16 age levels, was born to Hermano and Michie Rebuyas, who are originally from Leyte in Eastern Visayas,
His ITF world ranking had soared from 1180 to 380 in 18 months, with him currently ranked 436rd, it added.
Now on his last year of high school, Rebuyas said: “I really want to get into a US college in order to test myself against the best and play in higher standards of and more regular competition. It would be a huge opportunity for me.”
His coach Troy Gillham, originally from Australia and who spent two years on the ATP tour, said Rebuyas was "certainly good enough" to get a scholarship at a top college.
Gillham, of the Professional Sports Services (PPS) Emirates Academy, has been coaching Rebuyas on scholarship for three years.
Gillham described Rebuyas as "the quickest player on court I’ve ever seen, very hard working and determined."
He added, "Luckily he has the talent to make up for the fact he’s only 5'8."
Rebuyas’ father Hermano, a shift supervisor for an aluminium plant in Jebel Ali, went to the UAE from the Philippines in 1988.
Source: GMA News
Gulf News said Rebuyas has the chance to revive the Philippines' 59-year "slumber" in the sport.
The report noted that the two consecutive quarterfinal finishes in the French Open in 1952 and 1953 by the late Feliscimo Ampon had been the Philippines’ highest accolade in tennis.
Now, the young Rebuyas has the chance to join the likes of compatriot and current ATP World No. 878 Ruben Gonzales on the tennis circuit, the report said.
Rebuyas, presently the United Arab Emirates' No. 1 at boys' U18 and U16 age levels, was born to Hermano and Michie Rebuyas, who are originally from Leyte in Eastern Visayas,
His ITF world ranking had soared from 1180 to 380 in 18 months, with him currently ranked 436rd, it added.
Now on his last year of high school, Rebuyas said: “I really want to get into a US college in order to test myself against the best and play in higher standards of and more regular competition. It would be a huge opportunity for me.”
His coach Troy Gillham, originally from Australia and who spent two years on the ATP tour, said Rebuyas was "certainly good enough" to get a scholarship at a top college.
Gillham, of the Professional Sports Services (PPS) Emirates Academy, has been coaching Rebuyas on scholarship for three years.
Gillham described Rebuyas as "the quickest player on court I’ve ever seen, very hard working and determined."
He added, "Luckily he has the talent to make up for the fact he’s only 5'8."
Rebuyas’ father Hermano, a shift supervisor for an aluminium plant in Jebel Ali, went to the UAE from the Philippines in 1988.
Source: GMA News
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