Letran standout John David Velez came up with five upsets as he snared two titles in the 30th Andrada Cup Age Group Championships.
The 13-year-old Velez held his composure till the end, and pulled off his third reversal in the 18-years old and under boys side, and with a 7-5, 6-4, stopping of sixth seed Rupert Tortal yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
This earned the comebacking and unseeded Velez his first 18-under crown
Not only did he get one crown, Velez ended up with two after he went on stop Axl Gonzaga, 6-2, 6-2, in the clash for the 16-under boys honors.
And in doing so, he had to beat two seeded players in the bracket.
“Masaya po. Lahat po sila nag-improve. Kaya kinakabahan ako nung nakalaban ko sila. Kaya ginalingan ko rin,” said Velez, an eighth grader at Letran.
Velez, who had earlier helped the Letran Squires take fourth place in the recent NCAA tournament, prevailed in a series of long exchanges with Tortal in the fifth game of the second set to take the upper hand following a break at 3-2.
It was his third upset win in the weeklong meet, and after he overpowered second seed Steffan Gurria, 6-2, 6-3, in the semifinals, and eased out fourth ranked Miguel Castillo, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round.
In taking the 16-under plum, Velez scored two upsets when he prevailed over sixth seed Jude Ocio, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round, and no. 2 Jude Hidalgo, 6-4, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.
In the semis, Velez won over Exequiel Jucutan, 6-4, 6-1.
In other matches, Australian netter Crystal Mildwaters bagged the 18-under girls crown after putting away Ma. Patricia Lim, 6-2, 6-0, while Alexa Joy Milliam turned back Jenaila Prulla, 6-2, 7-6 (7-6), in the clash for the 16-under girls title.
Prulla, last year’s Batang Pinoy winner in the 13-under level, settled for the 14-under girls crown in stopping Angeline Alcala, 6-0, 6-0.
Second seed Marc Andrei Jarata of La Union picked up boys’ 14-under category trophy after posting a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Exequiel Jucutan.
Marc Andrei’s sister, Marielle Alexi,, topped the 12-under category, after she crushed second seed Jayden Reece Ballado, 6-1, 6-2.
