MIGUEL IGLUPAS pulled off a pair of shockers in the boys’ top two divisions while Jayden Ballado matched that two-title feat in the girls’ side of the Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Juniors National Tennis Championships at the PCA outdoor courts in Plaza Dilao, Manila, on Monday.
Both unranked in their respective categories, Iglupas, 16, toppled three seeded rivals to reign in his age category, capped by an abbreviated 1-0 win in the final as No. 7 Kenzo Brodeth retired with an injured back.
But against a healthy Mateo Rivas, the rising star from the tennis-playing clan from Iligan City dominated his top seeded rival, coming away with a 6-1, 6-4 victory to claim the 18-and-under diadem in the Group I event presented by Dunlop.
Ballado, from Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, also stirred up play in her side of the battle, wearing down second ranked Joy Ansay, 6-1, 2-6, 10-2, in the 14-under finals then ripping Chloe Mercado, 6-0, 6-2, to clinch the 16-U trophy in the upset-marred tournament which served as part of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala junior circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro.
Action in the country’s longest-running talent-search heats up in the Brookside Juniors Championships starting Thursday at the Brookside Tennis Club in Cainta, Rizal.
The Brookside Open, on the other hand, will be held November 27 to December 3 featuring the men’s singles and doubles.
For details, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 09154046464.
On their way to sharing the MVP honors, Iglupas eased past No. 5 Tristan Licayan, 4-1, 4-2, in the second round of 16-underplay, bundled out No. 4 Cyril Paster, 4-1, 4-0, in the next then overwhelmed top seed Frank Dilao, 6-3, 6-0, in the semifinals.
He stunned second seed Manila right in the 18-U second round, then repeated over Paster, 6-1, 6-1, in the semis, while Ballado edged top seed Sandra Bautista, 6-7, 6-2, 10-5, in the 14-under semis then outlasted No. 3 AJ Acabo, 1-4, 4-2, 10-6, in the 16-U quarters.
Other winners were Quezon City’s Zachary Morales and Maristella Torrecampo from Los Baños (12-U), Imus, Cavite’s Reign Maravilla (boys’ 14-U), and La Carlota’s Alexa Milliam.
The second seeded Morales held off No. 1 Julio Naredo, 6-4, 6-4; Torrecampo routed Erynne Ong, 6-0, 6-2; No. 2 Maravilla rapped top seed Licayan, 6-3, 6-2; and second ranked Milliam foiled No. 1 Acabo, 6-2, 6-2, to pocket the girls’ premier title in the event backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, Unified Tennis Philippines and Universal Tennis Rating.