Mica Ella Emana hacked out a pair of victories in contrasting fashions while sister Kaye Ann pulled off a shock win in the premier side as they grabbed the spotlight in the PPS-PEPP Manila Southwoods age-group tennis tournament in Carmona, Cavite recently.
The second seeded Mica Ella took the girls’ 14-and-under singles crown with a 6-3, 6-1 rout of giant-killer Chelsea Roque then out-steadied Kaye Ann to complete a come-from-behind 4-6, 7-5, 10-7, triumph in the 16-U finals of the Group 1 tournament presented by Dunlop.
But the unranked Kaye Ann bounced back strong in 18-U play, upending No. 3 Julia Ignacio, 5-3, 4-2, then trouncing second seed Gaby Zoleta, 6-3, 6-3, before crushing No. 1 Francesca Cruz, 6-1, 6-0, in the finals to complete the big day for the Quezon City siblings at the Manila Southwood Golf and Country Club tennis courts.
Kriz Roque Lim, meanwhile, picked up another win in 10-unisex division the hard way, turning back Gavin Kraut, 4-1, 2-4, 10-6. Though the Urdaneta bet failed to add the boys’ 12-U crown with a 1-6, 1-6 setback to brother John Prince Lim, he still shared the MVP honors with Mica Ella in the tournament that featured a number of three-setters.
“This string of reversals and matches decided via the distance underscored the level playing field in the circuit. Through their regular stints, the Emanas and the Lims continue to improve and their recent feats should inspire other young players,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Other singles winners were Los Baños JT Bernardo (boys’ 14-U), Manila Polo Club’s Miguel Castillo (16-U), Red Ante (18-U) and Czarina Ilano (girls’ 12-U) from Imus, Cavite while bagging the doubles titles were Kaye Ann-Dominique Lhuillier and the Lim siblings (14-U); Zoleta-Ignacio and Ante-Angelo Lozares (18-U); and Kriz Roque-Noah Llira (10-unisex).
Bernardo held off Andre Coladilla, 7-6(3), 6-0; Castillo repulsed Stephen Catipon, 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-3; Ante survived Castillo, 7-6(3), 7-6(5); and Ilano rallied past Margarita Labio, 4-6, 6-3, 10-1, in the tournament sanctioned by Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.
Meanwhile, action resumes with the Mindanao and Luzon tournaments with Kidapawan City hosting the next stop on June 6-9 for the Dir. Alfredo Aton Cup with Alamada, Cotabato staging the next tournament on June 13-16.
In Luzon, the country’s top and rising junior players clash in the Dr. Pablo Olivarez Cup on June 8, 9, 12, 15 and 16 at the Olivarez Sports Center in Parañaque. Listup is ongoing. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.