The PPS-PEPP national junior tennis circuit unveils a busy Cebu joust Wednesday with crack rosters in eight age-group categories primed for spirited chase for top honors and ranking points.
Two-time MVP Mateo Rivas headlines the PPS-PEPP Rep. Cindi Chan age-grouper firing off at the Lapu-Lapu City Tennis Club’s clay and hard courts with the rising star from Quezon City out to extend his romp in boys’ 16-and-under after ruling the Sta. Rosa, Laguna and Apalit, Pampanga stops of the country’s longest talent-search presented by Dunlop recently.
But locals Carl Miasco and Gio Manito, along with San Jose, Nueva Ecija’s Ivan Manila, Joseph Montecillo from Gen. Santos City, Dipolog’s Pete Bandala, Murray Bolongaita, and Marc Cruspero go all-out to foil his bid, along with the rest in the 32-player cast coming from all over.
The three other boys’ divisions also drew full-packed lineups, underscoring the circuit’s ever-growing following while ensuring another wild title hunt that has marked each staging of the nationwide circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Meanwhile, Mandaue City will host the next stop from Aug. 10-16, to be followed by the City of Naga leg on Aug. 17-24.
The Cebu swing winds up in Consolacion, Laray on Aug. 25-31. For details, contact Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
Top seed Marc Jarata also seeks to finally come out on top in the centerpiece 18-U category after falling short in the last two legs but the Agoo, La Union ace will be in for another tough outing against No. 2 John David Velez from Ormoc, Derek Napala from Gen. Santos City and Cebuano Hans Cabellon.
Also tipped to contend in the week-long Group 2 tournament, backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating), are Thomas Bernardo and 16-U campaigners Rivas, Miasco and Manila.
With Mica Emana taking a much-deserved break after sweeping the girls’ 16-U titles in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, in the Olivarez Cup and in Apalit, Pampanga, a wide-open battle looms among Ormoc’s Kimi Brodeth, Samantha Ortega from Tuburan, Cebu, Shara Paliwag and Kate Imalay.
Brodeth also banners the 18-U cast with Tiffany Nocos, also of Cebu, Mary Brigoli and Kim Pergamino while Paliwag, a former MVP at La Carlota, topbills the 14-U category with Cruspero, Fiel and Imalay.
Bandala and Montecillo, on the other hand, banner the 14-U division that includes former La Carlota leg winner Kenzo Brodeth from Valencia, Negros, Cebuanos Aaron Tabura and David Sepulveda, Rafa Callao from Tayasan, Negros, Gabriel Cruz from Nueva Ecija, and Valencia, Negros’ Matthew Morris, also a former winner at La Carlota.
Sepulveda and Callao also head the chase for the 12-U crown with Carlouie Canoy, Urciano Villa, Andrio Estrella, Ian Pergamino and Cruz while Ma. Caroliean Fiel and Alexa Cruspero likely to dispute the girls’ 12-U trophy.