MARISTELLA TORRECAMPO hardly showed the effects of a long layoff by posting another two-title romp as Kendrick Bona shone in the boys’ side of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Valle Verde Country Club National Juniors Tennis Championships in Pasig City over the weekend.
Torrecampo kept sharpening her skills during the Visayan swing of the country’s longest talent-search and produced another stellar play, dropping just four games in three matches on her way to clinching the girls’ 12-under crown via a 6-1, 6-1 win over Ayi Gonzaga.
The rising star from Los Baños then crushed Ave Policarpio, 6-0, 6-0, in the 14-under finals to duplicate her two-title feat in the Rep. Len Alonte-Naguiat leg at home last February.
Bona, meanwhile, held off Tristan Licayan, 6-3, 6-3, to claim the 16-under trophy and share Most Valuable Player honors with Torrecampo in the Group 1 tournament presented by Dunlop and held under the Palawan Pawnshop junior tennis program put up by president and CEO Bobby Castro.
Quezon City’s Mateo Rivas and Chloe Mercado bagged the 18-under titles with Rivas turning back Ivan Manila, 6-4, 6-1, and Mercado surviving doubles partner Jana Diaz, 7-5, 7-5.
Unranked Novak Brazal of Pasig City pulled off a shock 7-5, 7-5 win over the top-seeded Licayan in the 14-under finals.
Diaz, from Bacoor, Cavite, later repelled Mercado, 7-6(5), 6-4, to pocket the 16-under title, while club bet and second seed Alexandre Coyiuto upended No. 1 Gabrio Serillo, 6-4. 6-0, to clinch the boys’ 12-under diadem of the weeklong event backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and Universal Tennis Rating.
In a duel of unranked bets, Gabriel Vitaliano, also from Quezon City, clipped Valle Verde’s Victoria Hosaka, 4-0, 4-1, to snare the 10-under unisex crown.
Manila and Vince Serna toppled Bona and Alfonso Infante, 8-3, while Jeannieross Barcia and Kaye Mustaza routed Diaz and Mercado, 8-1, in the 18-under doubles finals.
Zachary Morales and Ynigo Naredo trounced siblings Aaron and Alexandre Coyiuto, 8-3, while Ronielle Oliveros and Torrecampo downed Gonzaga and Erynne Ong, 8-5, to share the 14-under doubles crowns.
Tyronne Caro and Naeem Serillo edged Kian Cansana and Hosaka, 8-7(4), for the 10-under unisex doubles plum.
The nationwide circuit heads back to Cebu after the Holy Week for the Tuburan stop from April 13 to 17 featuring another nine-division category in juniors and the Legends 35 and 45 men’s singles and the 40s and 50s men’s doubles.
For registration and details, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
