Alexa Milliam pulled off victories in singles and doubles while John David Velez ruled his side as the Unified Tennis Philippines junior national team stamped its mark the 13th Asian Tennis Federation tournament in Sarawak, Malaysia recently.
Milliam rebounded from a tough second set loss and routed Malaysia’s Lim Lim Zan Ning in the decider, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, to claim the girls’ 14-and-under crown while Velez notched the boys’ singles title over compatriot Rupert Tortal practically via the same fashion, 6-1, 5-7, 6-1.
Milliam also took the doubles plum with Tortal teaming up with Brent Cortes to nail the boys’ doubles diadem.
The four-title romp came on the heels of the team’s two singles finals appearances in the International Tennis Federation (ITF)-AGS Junior Tennis championships in Indonesia last month.
“I have always believed that PHL tennis has so much potential—and the way to produce champions is to make the game more inclusive, develop and scout for young Pinoy talents no matter where they may come from. Another key is a solid grassroots program that will hone the skills of the upcoming talents,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and founder of UTP, which includes Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Pawnshop, Babolat, HEAD, Chris’ Sports, Dunlop, Toby’s Sports, Wilson and Decathlon.
Up next in the UTP calendar is the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge where the champions will represent the country in the WTA Future Stars in Singapore next month.