LOCAL bets, led by Maria Mica Labrador and Ran Jib Alib, shone at the recently concluded Sindangan, Zamboanga del Sur leg of the 2018 Cebuana Lhuillier Age-Group Tennis Championship Series, the country’s longest-running tennis grassroots program now on its 12th year, with Labrador copping two individual categories and sharing the spotlight in a doubles’ event and Ajib ruling another age group.
Labrador was very impressive as she posted straight-set victories, beating Julia Elumba from Dipolog, 6-1, 6-1, for the girls’ 16-under crown, then followed it up with another 6-1, 6-1 win over Carmella Dawn Borromeo of Dipolog City for the girls’ 18-under title. She then partnered with Elumba to share the girls’ 18-under doubles’ title with an 8-4 win over Christina Gula-gula and Eloisa Marie Laputan.
“It is good to see new faces like Labrador emerging as a triple winner as it shows her great potential for the future. We would like to see more Labradors to emerge this year in our series,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of the sponsoring Cebuana Lhuillier Group.
Alib, meanwhile, eked out a three-set win over Dwayne Russel Daarol from Liloy, Zamboanga del Sur to take home the boys’ 16-under crown in the tournament also backed by Dunlop as the official ball and hosted by Mayor Florentino Nilo Sy of Sindangan, who hosted a dinner for the participants.
Heniz Asian Carbonilla from Maranding, Lanao del Norte continued his domination of both the boys’ 12-under and 14-under categories; Carbonilla blanked Kurt Gervan Bandolis from Tubod, Lanao del Norte, 6-0, 6-0, for the 12-under title and took the 14-under crown with another straight set, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Richmoon Soriano in the finals of the 14-under.
Gula-gula from Dapitan City was another double winner in the girls’ side as she went home with both the 12-under and 14-under titles, defeating Laputan 6-3, 6-4 in the finals of the 12-under and had an easier time in the 14-under championship against Dean Lianne Lanipa, 6-0, 6-2.
Zamboanga Sibugay’s Jose Maria Pague, a regular winner in the circuit, ruled the boys’ 18-under as he disposed of Molave, Zamboanga del Sur bet Lex Estilore, 6-0, 6-1, in the finals.
Pague also won the 18-under doubles’ event with partner Nick Alessandro Isagan. Garlandson Ardiente from Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur topped the 10-under unisex category with a 4-2, 4-2 win over Vladimer Quiday of Pagadian City and shared the same category in the doubles’ event with erstwhile opponent Quiday.