ILOILO and Roxas City completely dominated the recent 4th leg of the 2018 Cebuana Lhuillier Age-Group Tennis Championship Series held in Dumalag, Capiz.
The Iloilo-based netters ruled 6 of the 9 singles’ competitions, while Roxas went home with the remaining 3 individual titles in the tournament that attracted close to a hundred entries.
Althea Rose Martirez led the charge for Iloilo by winning both the girls’ 14-under and 16-under crowns against separate opponents. She began crushing local bet Angelique Faye Quimpo, 8-1, in the finals of the 14-under, then swept aside Iloilo’s Avril Andrea Suace, 8-3, in the finals of the 16-under tourney also backed by Dunlop Sports Philippines.
Other winners for Iloilo were boys’ 18-under champion John Paul Caspe, who beat another local bet Justin Mart Alba, 8-3, in the deciding match; Jeff Jimenea, who ruled the boys’ 12-under with a solid 8-3 victory over Roxas City’s Derrick Jann Guillano; girls’ 12-under champion Naomi Angelie Bolanos, who brushed aside Arianne Frances Lozada, 8-2; and Dave Octaviano, who swept Lourinne Jallorina, 4-1, 4-0, in the championship match of the 10-under unisex category
“The result in this leg is an indication that Iloilo is emerging as a tennis center in the Visayas, together with Roxas City. It is also good that we are seeing new names, who emerged as winners,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier Group, which is sponsoring the nation-wide 12-year-old grassroots tennis developmental program.
Roxas City lorded it over in the boys’ 14- and 16-under, where Drixcynn Jann Guillano matched Martirez’ s feat as he ruled both categories, disposing of Iloilo’s Nichel Nowlakha, 8-5, in the 14-under finals, but struggled against the same opponent in the 16-under championship match before pulling it off with an 8-7 win.
Louise Claire Clavaton delivered in the girls’ 18-under for Roxas City as she scored an easy 8-1 victory over Suace in the finals.