ACTION in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Visayas-Mindanao summer tennis tour heats up beginning Friday with simultaneous age-group tournaments in Tacloban and Tagum, Davao del Norte.
Close to 200 entries are vying in the Visayas stop with Bless Coderos, Trexie Sumapig, Lyra Repollo, Hazel Coderos, Krissel Borinaga and Selena Olo bannering the field in the girls’ 18- and 16-and-under categories.
Vhon Tudtud, coming off a victory in Mactan last week, guns for a second straight boys’ 18-U plum while Carlo Olo gains the top seeding in the 16-U side and Allain Ocat is fancied in both the 12- and 14-U divisions of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
Repollo, meanwhile, heads the cast in the girls’ 14-U section while Pristine Bernales and Mae Dizon are the top two seeds in the 12-U category and Brenz Dulfo, Argenzalo Garcia, Marion Gonzales and Gabriel Miralles are expected to slug it out for the 10-unisex crown in the five-day tournament backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg.
Fierce action is also expected in the Mindanao leg with Janus Ringia raring to score a follow-up to his victory in last week’s Gen. Santos stage and Carlyn Guarde fancied in the girls’ side of the premier 18-U division.
“This is going to be another exciting summer season for these young players seeking ranking points with tournaments on tap week after week,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro. “Through this series of tournaments will emerge the country’s next superstars.”
Baybay City in Leyte will host the next Visayas leg on May 3-7 then action moves to Maasin the following week. For details, call PPS-PEPP Regional Age Group Tennis Event organizer and Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.