AJ Acabo got back at Ma. Judyann Padilla in practically the same fashion the latter did in their recent title duel in the PPS-PEPP national age group tennis circuit, pounding out a 6-4, 4-6, 12-10 decision at the Liloy Tennis Club in Zamboanga del Norte over the weekend.
Acabo came through with clutch baseline hits in the decider to pull off the victory in the girls’ 18-and-under division as the rising Zamboanga Sibugay star rebounded from her 7-5, 4-6, 3-10 defeat to the Ozamiz City ace in last week’s Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala stop in Labason.
Padilla, who swept the 16-U and 18-U diadems in Dipolog and Labason, earlier trounced Acabo in the 16-U finals, scoring an easy 6-2, 6-0 rout but the latter came out strong in their 18-U duel to split the top two titles in the circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Thomas Gabuat, meanwhile, kept his win run going in the boys’ side of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop, toppling Mark Barrios, 6-3, 6-3, and dispatching Cyril Paster, 6-1, 6-2, in the 18- and 16-U finals, respectively.
Sindangan’s Marlyn Mesiona likewise extended her reign in girls’ 14-U play, beating Stephanie Omos, 6-0, 6-1, for her fourth title romp following her victories in Dipolog, Sindangan and Labason, while Dipolog’s Pete Bandala survived Rastan Baje, 7-6(1), 7-5, to snatch the boys’ 14-U trophy for the second straight week.
Gabrielle Bolado, also from Dipolog, took the girls’ 12-U title with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Omos while Terence Bugarin from Labason held off Kent Gitalan, 6-4, 6-3, in the boys’ side of the youngest category in the tournament held under the auspices of the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).
Meanwhile, action resumed in Lanao del Norte yesterday for the Maranding leg while Oroquieta City in Misamis Oriental will host the next stop on May 4-6. For details and registration, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
