TENNIELLE Madis racked up three wins while John David Velez posted two victories and a runner-up finish as they captured the MVP honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Davao leg regional age-group tennis circuit at the GSIS Tennis Club yesterday.
Madis crushed Joji Taketomi, 4-0, 4-0, to run away with the 10-unisex crown then the rising star from Mlang took the girls’ 12-U diadem with an equally lopsided 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Jillian Manangking. She later teamed up with Sanchena Francisco and edged Taketomi and Shaun Globasa, 8-5, for the 10-unisex doubles title in the Group 2 event backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and presented by Slazenger.
Velez, on the other hand, came away with a 6-1(ret.) win over Andre Sing for the boys’ 14-U plum then partnered with Cedric Pamplona and held off Kurt Haro and Sing, 8-5, for the 14-U doubles crown. The young local ace, however, fell short against second seed Klyde Lagarde from Gen. Santos City, 7-6(6), 4-6, 10-7, in the 16-U final of the tournament sanctioned by Philta and held in conjunction with the Araw ng Dabaw celebrations.
Counting his victories in Butuan and Cagayan de Oro stops of the nationwide circuit put up by the country’s leading pawnshop and remittance center, Velez clinched a three-month training stint in Australia under the Mac’s Crankit Tennis Academy.
“John Velez has been vigorously campaigning in the circuit in pursuit of ranking points and at the same time to improve his craft. His stint in Australia should inspire other young players to strive harder,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
The MCTA has allotted four slots (one each from each side in the 14- and 16-U sections) for Visayas and Mindanao players with three victories in any grouping in the ongoing PPS-PEPP circuit.
Other winners in the five-day event, hosted by LTFRB chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III, also the president of the GSIS Heights Tennis Club, and held as part of the PSC’s commitment to support youth sports through chairman Butch Ramirez, were Davao’s Patricia Velez, Danna Abad and Sing, and Minette Bentillo and Vince Tugade from Sultan Kudarat.
Patricia Velez routed Nicole Bautista, 6-1, 6-2, to cop the 18-U title; Abad upended top seed Carlyn Guarde, 6-2, 6-4, for the 16-U crown; Sing stunned No. 1 Reyman Saldivar Jr., 6-2, 6-2, to snare the boys’ 12-U plum; Bentillo captured the girls’ 14-U diadem with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ma. Angelica Novis; and Tugade held off Lagarde, 6-1, 6-4, in the boys’ 18-U final.