KIMI Brodeth and Mcleen Gomera came away with a pair of emphatic victories to dominate the premier division of the Masters Top 8 Tennis Championships at the Iloilo Sports Complex courts in Iloilo City over the weekend.
Brodeth swept the Group A elims, including a 6-2, 6-4, 11-9 escape against wild card Jasmine Jaran from Bacolod then the Ormoc City ace toppled AJ Acabo in the crossover semis. In the finals, she repeated over Jaran, 6-3, 6-0, to claim the girls’ 18-and-under crown in the week-long event that featured the top-ranked players in four age-group categories in the Palawan Pawnshop junior circuit last year.
Gomera likewise flashed top form to top Group B elims, breezed past Group A No. 2 Chad Cuizon from Cebu in the semis before thwarting Group A topnotcher Kendrick Bona from Puerto Princesa, 6-4, 6-1, to nail the boys’ 18-and-U diadem in the event sponsored by Gov. Arthur Defensor, Jr. and presented by the Province of Iloilo.
Other winners in the tournament, supported by the Iloilo Sports Development and Management, headed by Ma. Janelyn Fundal and Ray Cabarles, were Jana Diaz of Imus, Cavite and Ormoc’s Kenzo Brodeth (16-and-under); Iloilo’s Lorraine Jallorina and Lexious Cruz of Nueva Ecija (14-and-under); and Naga City’s Maristela Torrecampo and Claudwin Tonacao from Bogo City, Cebu.
Diaz also swept the Group A elims, downed Queen Villa in the semis then crushed Ma. Niña Torrejos, 6-0, 6-3; while Kenzo Brodeth likewise ripped the Group A field in the elims, got past Frank Dilao in the semis then thwarted Benedict Lim, 6-4, 6-4, in the tournament which ushered in the new season of the country’s longest talent-search sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Jallorina also scored three wins in the Group B elims, bested Group A No. 1 Ave Policarpio in the semis then repelled Cadee Dagoon, 6-2, 6-4; while Cruz likewise posted three victories in the elims, defeated Adrian Rodriguez in the semis then blasted Anthony Castigador, 6-0, 6-2.
Torrecampo also topped the Group A elims, repulsed Nadine Seno in the semis then overwhelmed Ma. Caroliean Fiel, 6-2, 6-0; while Tonacao posted a 2-1 record in the elims, upended Group B topnotcher Xian Calagos in the semis then outclassed James Estrella, 6-1, 6-3.
Gomera completed a twinkill as he teamed up with Ivan Manila to turn back Bona and Cuizon, 8-5, in the boys’ 18-and-U double final while Chelsea Bernaldez and Faith Banico outdueled Chloe Mercado and Czarina Miraflor, 8-7(10) in their side of the doubles championship.
Aaron Tabura and Lim took the boys’ 16-and-U doubles plum with an 8-4 victory over Kenzo Brodeth and Al Tristan Licayan, while Diaz likewise came away with a “double” as she partnered with Shara Paliwag to rout Torrejos and Villa, 8-2, to reign in the girls’ side.
Jallorina and Policarpio, meanwhile, trounced Dagoon and Alexa Cruspero, 8-3, to pocket the girls’ 14-and-U doubles title, while Cruz and Aljohn Rombawa took the boys’ crown over Castigador and Adrian Rodriguez via the same scoreline.
Fiel and Seno, on the other hand, grabbed the girls’ 12-and-U double trophy with an 8-3 romp over Gabrielle Bulado and Maria Ataiza, while James Estrella and Xian Calagos bagged the boys’ diadem with an 8-4 triumph over siblings Enzo and Pete Niere.