IT WAS a parade of new and fresh faces at the recent second leg of this year’s Cebuana Lhuillier Age-Group Tennis Championship Series in Iloilo City, something that made the organizers and sponsors happy.
“This development is very encouraging for us in our goal of expanding the base of young tennis talents, particularly from the provinces, and we are certainly happy both with the turn out and the results in IloIlo City,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of the Cebuana Lhuillier Group which has been bankrolling the Dunlop-backed series, now on its 12th year, making it the longest-running tennis grassroots program in the country.
Host province Iloilo took home five of the 10 individual titles at stake, while Negros Occidental players grabbed four titles and Cebu won just one championship.
Iloilo struck in the lower age categories, with Chrysler Gazo from Cabatuan ruling the boys’ 16-under with an 8-5 win over Negros Occidental bet Rewel Justiniani; Jan Roger Lamparero beating Roxas City bet Drixcyn Jann Guillano, 8-5, for the boys’ 14-under crown, and Elemar Sealza edging out Jeff Jimenea, 8-7, in the finals of the boys’ 12-under group.
The unisex events were also dominated by Iloilo as Aleeva Feonne Suace swept Lourinne Allorina , also from Iloilo, 4-1, 4-0, in the championship match of the 10-under unisex category, while Jallorina contented herself earlier by winning the 8-under unisex category as she defeated John Rafael Santiago, 4-0,4-0.
Negros Occidental held sway in the 18-under for boys, where Reynan Mahusay took the measure of Francis Andrade, 8-5, for the crown, in the girls’ 16 & under, with Alexa Joy Milliam prevailing over Jufe-An Cocoy, 8-7, in a close match.
Milliam also won the girls’ 14-under to emerge as the leg’s only double winner in the singles event, blanking Cocoy, 8-0, in the finals.
Jasmin Jaran took Negros Occidental’s fourth title in the girls’ 12-under, besting Dolores Hofilena from Iloilo, 8-3.
Pherl Bles Coderos from Cebu City was the only survivor of Iloilo and Negros Occidental’s onslaught as she beat Avril Andrea Suace, 8-5 to take home the girls’ 18-under crown.