ANNIKA Diwa from Balanga, Bataan and German Jimmy Reinsch led the winners at the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age-Group Tennis Championship Series leg inside Clark in Pampanga, winning two individual titles each.
Diwa was impressive as she blanked separate opponents, beating Tristen Dee Kitang from Urdaneta, Pangasinan, 6-0, 6-0, in the 12-under and duplicating it, this time over Lucena City bet Julia Ignacio, 6-0, 6-0, in the 14-under.
Reinsch met Bacoor, Cavite’s Rainier Angelo Selmar in two different championship matches but with the same results. He swept Selmar, 6-1, 6-3, in the boys’ 14-under for the crown, then retired the same opponent, 4-2, in the first set of the boys’ 16-under finals for his own back-to-back wins in the tournament now on its 11th year and backed by Dunlop as the official ball.
“The Cebuana Lhuillier Age-Group Championship Series is living up to expectations as it continues to discover new talents in the provinces like the case here in Clark. We are confident that there will be more discoveries in the remaining legs this year,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier and one of the top supporters of grassroots tennis development in the country.
Jed Justin Labasano from Angeles City salvaged local pride as he emerged champion in the boys’ 18-under following a straight-set victory over Jair Aquino from Tarlac, 6-0, 6-1, with sibling Jeremiah Caleb Labasano setting the tone earlier in the 10-under unisex age group as he defeated Ivin John Decena, 4-0, 4-0, in the finals.
Visiting player Martina Naredo from Quezon City made short work of Chara Iselle Bernarte, 6-1, 6-1, in the girls’ 18-under to claim the crown, emerging as the third player to win two singles’ titles as she also swept Nueva Ecija’s Renee Ysabelle Esteban, 6-1, 6-2, earlier in the girls’ 16-under.
Another visitor, Ralph Adrian Selmar from Cavite, was an easy 6-1, 6-3 winner over Mandaluyong City’s Don Joaquin Bermejo for the boys’ 12-under title.
New faces ruled the doubles’ events as James Mina and John Jay Jimenez edged out LJ Cruz and Miguel Mejia, 8-5, for the boys’ 18-under title, while Leeyha Sison and partner Charra Bernarte duplicated it in the girls’ 18-under with a similar 8-5 win over Katrina Juan and Lucy Inalves.
Ameer Evaristo teamed up with Kyle Panlilio to beat Ralph Selmar and Nathan Novilla in the boys’ 14-under with Francheska Malaki and Ysabelle Esteban posting a lopsided 8-1 win over Patricia Medina and Ellana Wage for the girls’ 14-under doubles’ crown.