Kimi Brodeth came away with an expected two-title romp but unranked Vince Baisa stirred up play in the boys’ division, matching the former’s ‘double’ feat in the PPS-PEPP Iloilo City national juniors tennis championships at LaPaz Plaza courts over the weekend.
Brodeth, coming off a win in the season’s lead-off Masters Top 8 tournament in Negros Occidental last week, sustained her form and lived up to her top billing, mastering No. 2 Jana Diaz with a pair of 6-2, 6-1 victories in the 16-and 18-U finals of the Group I event held in conjunction with the Dinagyang Festival celebrations.
The 15-year-old student at Saint Paul’s Ormoc Foundation, Inc. credited her surge to her coach Dong Velez and his program, saying: “Since he handled and trained us (with younger brother Kenzo) way back in 2020, we were able to produce good results, not only in tournaments but also in academics.”
But Baisa stole the spotlight in the week-long tournament sponsored by Mayor Jerry Trenas and executive assistant for Youth and Sports Rudiver Jungco, Sr., shocking top seed Ariel Cabaral with a 6-0, 6-0 rout in the quarterfinals, trampling France Dilao, 6-3, 6-1, in the semis then beating No. 3 Reign Maravilla, 6-4, 6-2, to snare the 16-U trophy.
The Puerto Princesa City, Palawan find then shut out Cabaral for the second straight time in 18-U second round, also repeated over Dilao, 6-2, 6-1, then clipping top seed Vince Serna, 6-2, 6-1, to share MVP honors with Brodeth in the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Other winners in the event presented by Dunlop were Joy Ansay and Tristan Licayan (14-U), and Ma. Caroliean Fiel and local bet Anthony Castigador (12-U). Fiel also topped the 10-unisex category via a 4-1, 2-4, 10-6 decision over Francisco de Juan III.
The top-seeded Ansay from Sta. Rosa, Laguna toppled No. 2 Maristella Torrecampo, 6-1, 6-2, while the top-ranked Licayan from Gen. Trias, Cavite overpowered Rafael Santiago, 6-1, 6-1; No. 2 Fiel, also from Ormoc, wore down top-ranked Torrecampo, 7-6(3), 0-6, 10-7, in the 12-U finals, while the unseeded Castigador likewise pulled off a shock three-setter over No. 1 Gabrio Serillo, 6-7(5), 6-1, 10-4.
Meanwhile, Danilo Sajonia and Joseph Olivar routed Roden Borres and Ramon Chavez, 8-2, to bag the men’s doubles 40s title with Sajonia later teaming up with Ricardo Sunio to edge Borres and Moises Olavides, 8-7(3), for the 50s crown in the Legends category.
The junior field heads to Roxas City, Capiz for the Gov. Fredenil Castro tournament starting Jan. 19. For details, contact Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.