DIPOLOG native Stephen Zion Guia and Negros Oriental’s Bliss Bayking emerged as big winners at the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series leg in Maasin, Leyte as they dominated their respective age groups and winning two individual titles apiece.
Guia, who has been ruling the boys’ 16-under group in the previous legs, won anew this time by beating Zamboanga del Norte bet Nik Alessandro Isagan, 6-1, 6-1, but made a big splash when he shocked Cebu City’s Marc Nicole Suson in the 18-under, winning 6-2, 7-5.
In past meetings, Guia was always thwarted by Suson, who has made the 18-under practically a personal domain.
Suson consoled himself with a share of the 18-under doubles’ crown after partnering with Ashton Benne Villanueva to defeat Cedrix John Bravo and Lex Estillore, 8-5, in the finals.
Bayking faced different opponents in the finals of the girls’ 16-under and 18-under categories but with the same results.
She swept aside Ormoc City’s Mia Gemida, 6-1, 6-3, for the 16-under and duplicated it with a similar easy victory over Cebuana Shedel Aighey Gica, 6-0, 6-1, for the 18-under crown.
Bayking also shared the girls’ 18-under doubles’ crown with erstwhile opponent Gica after beating Gemida and Ellaine Rose Bahonsua,
8-2, for the title, her third in the tournament backed by Dunlop as the official ball.
“When I see players finally winning over opponents who used to beat them regularly, it only means that they have improved their games through regular participation in tournaments. In the case of Guia, this was a breakthrough win for him in this leg,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier, which has been sponsoring this grassroots tennis program for the past 12 years.
Aside from perennial winner Guia, relatively unknown players grabbed the limelight in Maasin by topping their age groups.
In the boys’ side, Manuel Jocson III not only won the 10-under unisex group over local bet Christian Angelo Estrada, 5-3, 4-1, but also shared with Estrada the doubles’ title in the same age group to become the third player in the leg to win two titles.
Boholano John Kenneth Jumamoy also drubbed Estrada in the finals of the 12-under, prevailing, 6-1, 6-2.
Villanueva won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, over Ormoc’s Hans Cabellon in the 14-under finals. Villanueva was one of the few players to win two titles in the leg.
The distaff side had Gemida contenting herself with the girls’ 14-under title after beating Corazon Lambonao from Ormoc in a come-from-behind, three-setter match, 2-6, 6-2, 10-3, while local bet Jewel Davanne Velasco gave reason to local fans to jubilate as she copped the 12-under crown with an easy 6-2, 6-3 win over another local player Janie Lim.