Sydney Enriquez came out of a month-long break in style, fashioning out two lopsided victories to share MVP honors with local bet Nash Agustines in the PPS-PEPP Oroquieta national age-group tennis tournament in Misamis Occidental recently.
Enriquez, 16, dominated her age bracket and the 18-and-under category in the Gen. Santos City, Kidapawan, Ozamiz and Tangub, Misamis Occidental legs of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala circuit. The Salug, Zamboanga del Norte ace then took a rest the last few weeks to toughen up before sweeping her way to a 6-3, 6-1 victory over doubles partner Judy Ann Padilla in 16-U play at the Oroquieta Lawn Tennis Association courts.
The recent Palarong Pambansa champ sustained her form in the premier division, dropping just five games, including a 6-1, 6-2 romp over Alessandra Quimbo to clinch the crown in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop. She and Padilla later bagged the 18-U doubles plum in the country’s biggest, long-running talent-search sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, crushing Carmel Padilla and Angel Repaja, 8-2.
Agustines matched that three-title feat, overpowering Theo Montano, 6-0, 6-2, for the boys’ 14-U diadem then rallied to stun top seed Eric Tangub, 0-6, 6-4, 10-8, to snare the 16-U crown. He also teamed up with Mikael Jamal to rout Mark Palanas and Nicholas Tan, 8-3, for the doubles 14-U title.
Pete Bandala, meanwhile, kept his win run going, adding the 10-unisex trophy to his earlier victories in Liloy and Sindangan legs, among others. The rising Dipolog City star repeated over doubles partner Rose Mesiona, 4-1, 5-3, before the duo clipped Zap Galleposo and Ferdinand Gica, 8-1, to pocket the doubles title.
“Enriquez and Agustines continue to serve as inspiration to their fellow players with their work ethics and determination while Bandala is reaping the fruits of his hard work with his string of victories in the circuit aimed at discovering and developing future stars,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Other winners were Dipolog’s Andrei Tan, who stopped Bandala, 7-6(3), 3-6, 10-4, for the boys’ 12-U diadem; Pagadian’s Nilo Ledama, who upended No. 1 Tangub, 6-4, 6-4, for the 18-U crown; top seed Angel Denopol of Kulambugan, Lanao, who held off Cielo Gonzales, 6-4, 6-0, for the girls’ 12-U plum; and Ozamiz’s Padilla, who halted giant-killer Christine Gulagula, 6-3, 6-2, for the girls’ 14-U crown.
Meanwhile, the PPS-PEPP Valle Verde leg will be held on May 21-25 in Pasig City. Listup is ongoing. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.