Angil Jay Balaoing braces for a fierce challenge from a slew of fancied bets he upended the last time out, seeking a repeat of his rare three-peat feat in the PPS-PEPP Digos City regional age-group tennis tournament which got going yesterday (Friday) at the Digos City Tennis Courts.
The Koronadal City bet captured three division crowns in Gen. Santos last week, including the boys’ 18-and-under crown where he stunned top seed Bruce Hurtado in the semis then trounced Jude Padao. The 14-year-old bet also took the 14- and 16-U titles in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
But Hurtado is out for a payback as he heads the premier division cast in Digos with Alfred Directo and Padao also in the fold while top seed Karl Palo is also raring to get back at Balaoing in the 16-U play that also features Padao and Kristopher Espinosa.
Balaoing also gears up for a tougher outing in the full-packed 14-U category where the likes of Padao, Palo, Reyman Saldivar Jr., Espinosa, Jason Flores Jr., Armando Saldivar and Charles Jumawan also seek to contend for the crown and ranking points in the event presented by Dunlop and backed by Asiatraders Corp.
Keen competition is also seen in the girls’ division of the tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg with Minette Bentillo and Angelica Novis looking for another title faceoff after the latter foiled the former’s own bid for three titles in Gen. Santos.
The duo are also tipped to slug it out in the 16-U finals while Bentillo goes for another 14-U title bid against the likes of Jillian Manangking, Tenielle Madis and Angelie Ripdos.
Madis and Manangking are also expected to clash for the 12-U diadem with Saldivar and Flores heading the 32-player boys’ cast while Kael Palo, Apollo Globasa, Yusuf Maldo and Alexavier Uy banner the huge field in the 10-unisex division.
Also on tap are the doubles matches in the boys and girls’ 14- and 18-U classes along with the 10-U side. For details, call PPS-PEPP Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.