IT WAS a mix of new and familiar names that emerged winners at the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series leg in Baybay, Leyte with visiting players from other provinces dominating local players.
Only one local bet Manuel Jocson III managed to eke out a win in the 10-under unisex age group.
Leading the charge of the familiar names was the duo of Dipolog City’s Stephen Zion Guia and Cebu City’s Marc Nicole Suson, who maintained their stranglehold in the boys’ 16-under and 18-under age groups, in the Group 2 tournament that attracted a big field of 167 entries.
Guia, who ruled the 16-under with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over 14-under champion Ashton Benne Villanueva from Ozamis, was actually going for a double win.
But Suson denied him of the chance as the latter won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2 over Guia for the 18-under crown.
Villanueva beat Hans Cabellon from Cebu earlier, 4-6, 6-1, 10-5, in the 14-under finals.
Another perennial winner was Cebu City’s Pherl Bless Coderos, who made short work of Selena Monique Olo, 6-2, 7-6, for the girls’ 18-under, while sibling Hela Riza Coderos was extended to three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 10-6, by Jewel Davanne Velasco from Maasin, Leyte in the finals of the girls’ 12-under in the tournament backed by Dunlop as the official ball.
“I am always happy seeing new names emerge as winners in this grassroots tennis developmental program that Cebuana Lhuillier has been supporting for the past 12 years. It shows we are discovering new talents in the provinces,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of the sponsoring Cebuana Lhuillier Group.
An example was Ormoc City’s Mia Gemida, a virtual unknown who was the only player to cop two singles’ titles in the tournament after taking both the girls’ 14-under and 16-under crowns. She beat the same opponent, Corazon Lambonao, who is also from Ormoc, 3-6, 6-3, 10-6 for the 14-under title and had an easier time in the finals of the 16-under, winning in easy fashion, 6-1, 6-0.
Other unfamiliar names were Ched Wayne Cantiga from Albuera, Leyte, who posted a straight set 6-3, 6-2 win over Glean Rabor from Ormoc in the finals of the boys’ 12-under and 8-under unisex age group winner Roy Jones Edullantes, also from Ormoc, who knocked out local bet Princess Jannah Mae Paulo, 4-0, 4-2 in the finals.
Jocson, the lone winner from Baybay had an easy 4-0, 4-1 win over Christian Angelo Estrada from Maasin in the 10-under finals.
Jocson, though, shared with Estrada the 10-under unisex title.
Other doubles’ champions were Harland Hogan and DwayneEMRussel Daarol in the boys’ 14-under, Nik Alessandro Isagan and partner Joshua Ramon Torres in the boys’ 18-under, while in the distaff side, Marie Angeline Llevares and Wendelyn Tomon ruled the girls’ 18-under doubles’ category.