Therese Gauran lived up to the hype, coming away with victories in lopsided fashion to emerge the lone “double” winner in the PPS-PEPP Fr. F. Suarez Cup national age group tennis tournament at the Villa Aurora Tennis Club in Cebu City recently.
The top-seeded Gauran, 12, dropped just one game in three matches to rule her age group capped by a 6-0, 6-1 romp over unranked Khalilha Imalay then the rising star from Tayasan, Negros Occidental overwhelmed No. 2 Riza Coderos, 6-2, 6-0, for the girls’ 14-and-under diadem in the Group I tournament presented by Dunlop.
Jonathan Largo, on the other hand, upended top seed Gerald Gemida, 6-2, 7-6(4), to snare the boys’ 14-U crown and share the MVP honors with Gauran in the event held as part of the country’s biggest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Fancied John David Velez from Ozamiz City also hacked out a pair of thrillers to claim the boys’ 18-U title, repulsing Eric Longakit in the semis then thwarting No. 3 Venz Alforque via the same scoreline, 4-6, 6-2, 10-6.
Other winners were Cebu City’s David Sepulveda (10-unisex), Juvels Velos (boys’ 12-U) from Danao City, Hans Cabellon (boys’ 16-U) from Pardo, Cebu, Nicole Villar (girls’ 16-U) from Laray, Cebu and Paula Uy (girls’ 18-U) from Cabatuan, Isabela.
The top seeded Sepulveda routed Matthew Morris, 4-0, 4-1; Velos shocked top seed Renante Bravo, 6-2, 6-3, in the semis then scored a 6-4 (ret.) win over No. 2 Kevin Tabura in the finals; Cabellon wore down Longakit for a 7-6(5), 4-0 (ret.) victory; Villar held off Corazon Lambonao, 5-7, 6-2, 10-2; and Uy crushed top seed Mia Gemida, 6-2, 6-3.
Uy and Villar later teamed up to beat Mia Gemida and Lambonao, 8-4, for the 18-U doubles title with Velez and Cedrix Bravo taking the boys’ plum with a similar 8-4 romp over Kenneth Tenepre and Kharl Yamut.
Gauran nailed her third crown in a team-up with Riza Coderos, beating Florinel Melchor and Nina Torrejos, 8-3, in the 14-U finals with Gio Manito and Aaron Tabura pocketing the boys’ title with an 8-7(1) escape over Gerald Gemida and John Lataza while Julius Balacuit and Morris bagged the 10-unisex title with an 8-4 victory over Chad Cuizon and David Sepulveda.
Meanwhile, action resumes next week for the Masters Top 8, a juniors tournament on Feb. 6-11 in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
