(by Steve Hopkins)
The knockout rounds of the 2025 Pan American Cup started on Friday and by Saturday night, the field has been trimmed to only the Final Four. Americans were featured prominently in action in both Men’s and Women’s Singles this evening with Kanak Jha reaching the Men’s Semifinal, and both Amy Wang and Lily Zhang reaching the Women’s Semifinals.
Argentina’s Santiago Lorenzo started fast, with a strong 11-4 win to open the Quarterfinal match with USA’s Kanak Jha. However, early in the second game, Kanak Jha found another gear, and he dominated the second game 11-3 and third game 11-4. Early in the fourth game, the score was close, but Jha again pulled away before the fifth point (going from 2-2 to being up 6-2). Jha was able to extend his lead and win the fourth game 11-3 to take the 3-1 lead. Facing a 1-3 deficit, Lorenzo through everything he had left into the fifth game, jumping out to a 6-2 lead. Lorenzo extended his advantage to 7-3, but then a very careful Kanak Jha ran off a few in a row to narrow the lead to 7-5, and then 7-6. With the four point lead down to just one, Lorenzo used his time out to talk to his coach and take a break. Out of the time out, the players traded points, and after a very strong backhand by Jha, the score was tied 8-8. A Jha cross-court angled forehand winner, a long rally and a Jha miss, a big top spin forehand for a winner by Lorenzo, and a miss by Lorenzo, and we are tied 10-10. The two again trade points – Lorenzo with an aggressive winner, then Jha wins off a misdirection by his backhand crosses up the Argentinian. And a big Jha backhand, and then a Jha miss has them tied at 12-12. Jha’s attack clipped the net and missed, and then Jha took a big chance with a forehand roll from deep off his backhand side – again tied at 13-13. A missed Lorenzo backhand gives Jha his second match point – and he seals the match with a deep cross-court backhand winner (15-13). Jha moves to the Semifinals with a 4-1 win.
A year ago, Canada’s Edward Ly surprised the field by winning this event. This year, he had a bye in the opening round and then outlasted Puerto Rico’s Brian Afanador 4-2 yesterday. Ly faces Brazil’s Eric Jouti in the Quarterfinals. Jouti was in control for the full first game, and was leading for both of the second, but Edward Ly had a flurry of energy to win 3 of 4 points to tie the game, and 9-9, and then things were even again at 10-10. A Jouti backhand winner and then a Ly backhand miss and Jouti was up two games with momentum. In the third game, Ly fought to a 10-7 advantage, just to see it disintegrate – this time ending in a 13-11 Jouti win for a commanding 3-0 lead in the match. With his back against a wall, Ly fought back to win the fourth game. However, Jouti gained an early lead in Game 5, and closed out the match 4-1. The defending champion is out, and Eric Jouti is through to face Kanak Jha in the Semifinals on Sunday.
Elsewhere on the Men’s side, Alberto Mino defeated Jishan Liang early on Saturday, and Eugene Wang defeated Mino 4-2 in their Quarterfinal match on Saturday evening. USA’s Nandan Naresh had mixed results on his Saturday matches, defeating the tournament’s second seed (Vitor Ishiy) 4-2 in his morning match, but then falling to Argentina’s Horacio Cifuentes 4-0 in the evening Quarterfinal match. Cifuentes will play Wang in one Semifinal Match on Sunday.
USA’s Lily Zhang dominated her Quarterfinal match with a 4-0 win over Giulia Takahashi. Zhang will face Canada’s Mo Zhang who similarly dominated her opponent, Paulina Vega of Chile. In the other half of the draw, USA’s Amy Wang is through to face the event’s top seed Bruna Takahashi. For Wang, she had a strong showing in her win over Brianna Burgos of Puerto Rico, winning 4-1. Takahashi fought past Chile’s Daniela Ortega, initially losing the first and the third games, but coming back to win an exciting final match of the evening 4-2.
All of those who reached the Semifinals have now punched their ticket for the World Cup in Macao this April. Tune in tomorrow as we provide updates from San Francisco.
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