John David Velez and Alexa Milliam set out for another dominant campaign but against a new set of rivals in the PPS-PEPP El Kapitan-Argao national age-group tennis tournament beginning today (Friday) at the El Kapitan-LGU Outdoor Tennis Courts in Argao, Cebu.
Velez and Milliam, both 14, matched three-title romps in the circuit’s last stop in Dumaguete with the PPS-PEPP Mac Crankit aces seeking to duplicate their romps in this week’s Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop and sponsored by El Kapitan Resort and Wilfredo Albarracin.
But Velez, one of the rising stars from Davao, expects a tougher challenge from a slew of talented rivals, including Hans Cabellon, Gerald Gemida, Ian Lim and Gio Manito in the 32-player draw in 14-U, and Cedric Bravo and Venz Alforque in 16- and 18-U categories.
Milliam, from Pontevedra, Negros, will be as much tested as she gears up for a showdown with the likes of Mia Gemida and Riza Coderos the girls’ 14-U, and Bless Coderos and Faye Lim in 16- and 18-U divisions of the event put up by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Over 160 entries are clashing for top honors in nine divisions in the five-day event sanctioned by Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.
Aaron Tabura, Louise Paliwag, Renante Bravo and David Sepulveda are tipped to dispute the 10-unisex diadem with Paliwag also set to compete in the girls’ 12-U side along with Riza Coderos, Sheynna Yu and Amygray Olao.
Gerald Gemida, Gio Manito, Mitch Largo and Clarence Tabura, on the other hand, banner the boys’ 12-U cast in the event serving as the second leg of the October festival. La Carlota City in Negros Occidental will host the next stop on Oct. 24-28 while San Carlos City stage the Pintaflores Festival on Oct. 29-Nov. 5. Listup is ongoing. For details, call PPS-PEPP Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.