Althea Rose Martirez flashed top form and superb staying power as she came away with three division titles, including the premier 18-and-under crown, in the PPS-PEPP San Jose regional age-group tennis tournament at the Binirayan Sports Complex in Antique recently.
The 14-year-old find from Central Philippine U dropped just seven games in ruling her age bracket, capped by a 6-0, 6-0 romp over Faith Banico from Siquijor in the finals then took the 16-U plum with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Rissa Cubos.
As unranked bet in the 18-U side, Martirez proved tougher and better, yielding just three games, highlighted by a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Princess Jimenez as she ran away with the MVP plum in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala and presented by Dunlop.
Drixcyn Guillano, meanwhile, trounced Roger Lamparero, 6-3, 6-3, to pocket the boys’ 14-U title but the Roxas City bet fell short in the 16-U finals, dropping a tough 7-5, 6-4 decision to Marben Mosquera from La Paz, Iloilo. His 1-2 effort, however, netted him the MVP trophy in his side of the event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.
Other winners were La Paz, Iloilo’s Nigel De Juan (10-unisex), Elemar Sealza (boys’ 12-U) from Alimodian, Iloilo, Reynan Mahusay (18-U) from Pontevedra, and Banico (12-U).
De Juan thumped top seed Aleeva Suace, 4-1, 64-0; Sealza repulsed Jeff Jimenea, 7-5, 5-7, 10-5; Mahusay smothered JJ Gazo, 6-0, 6-2; and Banico clobbered Fleur Solis, 6-2, 6-0, in the five-day event, part of a string of summer tournaments under the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala program. For details, call PPS-PEPP Program Development Director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
Mahusay later teamed up with Matthew Flores as they edged the Guillano-Mosquera tandem, 8-7(5), to snare the boys 18-U doubles plum while Erika Ayson and Loushelle Ursua took the girls’ title with an 8-1 rout of Andrea Diaz and Alaida Lim.
Guillano and Benedict Santiago nipped Jeff Jimenea and Lamparero, 8-6, to snatch the boys’ 14-U doubles plum while Ma. Petrina Aguirre and Banico foiled Martirez’s bid for a fourth crown in partnership with Dolores Hofilena as they pocketed the girls’ title with an 8-4 victory.
Eric Binas and Francis De Juan bagged the 10-unisex doubles crown with an 8-5 decision over Dave Octaviano and Aleeva Suace.