ANGELYN Atos and Exequiel Jucutan saved their best for last, posting a pair of singles victories each to share the MVP honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Angeles City leg age-group tennis tournament at the Angeles City Tennis Club in Villa Gloria Subd. in Pampanga last weekend.
The top-seeded Atos lived up to her billing, dropping just two games to reign in the girls’ 12- and 14-and-under classes of the Group I tournament hosted and sponsored by councilor Joseph Ponce and Palawan Pawnshop. The rising Baguio City crushed Tristenn Kitong twice, 6-0, 6-0, and 6-0, 6-2, respectively.
Jucutan turned in a more impressive performance, beating Jundee Magtabog, 6-0, 6-0, in the boys’ 14-U finals then the Manaoag, Pangasinan ace clipped Josh Molina, 6-1, 6-0, to claim the 16-U diadem in the event presented by Slazenger which capped the PPS-PEPP 53-leg nationwide circuit.
Atos and Jucutan actually made it a three-title feat with the former teaming up with Gabrielle Abarquez to rout Angel Alambra and Rymone Moreno, 8-1, for the 18-U doubles plum and the latter partnering with JM Erpelo to whip Gabby Avila and Ranz Cuarto, 8-2, for the 14-U doubles title.
Anna Demyer also came away with two victoreis as the San Fabian, Pangasinan bet trounced Gabrielle Abarquez, 6-0, 6-2, in the girls’1 6-U finals and repulsed Kim Evangelista, 0-6, 6-3, 10-5, in the 16-U championship.
Local bet Jed Labasano held off Charles Torres, 6-1, 7-5, to clinch the boys’ 18-U plum, John Prince Lim from Urdaneta, Pangasinan topped the 10-unisex side with a 4-1, 4-2 romp over Jeremiah Labasano, and JM Erpelo, also of Urdaneta, took the boys’ 12-U title with a 6-0, 6-7(4), 10-4 victory over Thomas Gabuat.
Other doubles winners were Jed Labasano-Andrei Torres, who edged Josh Molina-Charles Torres, 8-5, for the boys’ 18-U crown; Gab Abarquez-Kitong, who nipped Jumia Ehipto-Janice Navalta, 8-7(4), for the girls’ 14-U title; and JP Lim-Kriz Lim, who ripped Jeremiah Labasano-Matthew Tiotuico, 8-1, for the 10-U plum.
Meanwhile, the country’s premier talent-search, backed by the Unified Tennis Philippines, including PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, has lined up a 54-stage tour this year, according to PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director and organizer Bobby Mangunay. For details, call 0915-4046464.
