STEVEN Sonsona bounced back strong from a failed bid the last time out as he racked up two titles while Guia Bandolis posted a win and a runner-up finish in the Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Molave leg regional tennis tournament at the LGU-Moltec-Mahayag tennis courts in Zamboanga del Sur yesterday.
Sonsona survived a three-set thriller against Nilo Ledama, 7-6(1), 4-6, 11-9, in the semifinals then whipped Uzziel Pepito, 6-2, 6-3, to capture the boys’ 16-and-under crown. The Tubod, Lanao del Norte then outlasted Ledama in another fierce duel, 6-3, 3-6, 10-8, to clinch the 18-U title in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
The twin victories more than made up for Sonsona’s defeat in the Ozamiz leg of the country’s longest-running age-grouper last week as he shared the MVP honors with fellow Tubod, Lanao del Norte ace Bandolis, who ruled the girls’ 12-U side with a 6-3, 6-2 rout of Anne Baco.
“The weekly PPS-PEPP circuit gives these young players the chance to prove their worth or redeem themselves and Sonsona showed his ability to bounce back from a previous setback with two big wins,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Ozamiz City’s Judy Ann Padilla, however, foiled Bandolis, 6-2, 6-4, to snare the 14-U plum in the event backed by the Unified Tennis Group, including Cebuana Lhuillier, PPS-PEPP, Wilson, Toby’s, BMeg, Citigreen, Babolat and Tru-Flex.
Other winners were Vinz AJ Bering from Maranding (10-unisex), Christopher Sonsona (12-U), local bet Lex Estillore (14-U), Jan Marie Anghag of Ozamiz (16-U) and Iligan’s Rovie Baulete.
Bering upset top seed Cyd Villamar, 4-2, 5-3; Christopher Sonsona wore down Kurt Bandolis, 6-3, 3-6, 10-7; Estillore downed Siefred Pepito, 6-4, 6-2; Anghag held off Baulete, 1-6, 6-4, 10-7; and Baulete thwarted Carmeville Gervacio, 6-4, 6-4.
Meanwhile, listup is ongoing for the next PPS-PEPP leg in Dumaguete City on Oct. 12-16. For details, call PPS-PEPP sports program development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
