Angel Repaja scored an expected romp in her age bracket then pulled off a surprise in the premier division as she shared the spotlight with young Pete Bandala in the PPS-PEPP Liloy national age-group tennis at the Liloy Tennis Club in Zamboanga del Norte last Tuesday.
Repaja toppled her rivals to claim the girls’ 16-and-under crown, capping her dominant run with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over doubles partner Yvonne Cuevas then the local bet bucked the odds in 18-U play, upending top seeded Jane Echon, 6-0, 6-2, in the semis then besting No. 2 Faith Regencia, 6-4, 6-1, to complete a twinkill in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.
Bandala, on the other hand, continued to sizzle in 10-unisex category of the circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala, holding off doubles teammate Rose Mesiona, 5-3, 4-1, to add the crown to his growing list of victories.
Bandala from Dipolog and Mesiona from Sindangan also ran away with the doubles plum, beating Rasta Baje and Kevin Gallenero, 8-3.
Other singles winners were Dipolog’s Andrei Tan (boys’ 12-U), local bet Angelo Cadavedo (boys’ 14-U), Dumingag’s Aldree Pan (boys’ 16-U), Liloy’s Rastyley Baje (boys’ 18-U), Mesiona (12-U) and Cuevas (14-U).
“I’m happy to see these youngsters’ games being raised to a higher level through their regular participation in the PPS-PEPP circuit. (Pete) Bandala and (Andrei) Tan both started from scratch but have now joined the growing list of winners in the circuit aimed at discovering fresh talents and producing new set of stars,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Tan trounced Miggy Omos, 6-2, 6-1; the unranked Cadavedo crushed No. 3 Marc Fernandez, 6-1, 6-0; the fourth-ranked Pan stunned top seed Russel Daarol, 6-3, 6-2; Baje also shocked Daarol, 6-4, 6-4; Mesiona routed No. 1 Neach Domiguez, 6-1, 6-1; and Cuevas turned back top seed Jalia Elumba, 7-5, 6-3.
Repaja claimed a third crown as she and Cuevas beat Zhyryn Dislag and Laisha Echon, 8-4, in the 18-U finals with Baje and Airitz Pan nipping Jefferson Mallones and Aldree Pan, 8-7(8), for the boys’ plum.
Cuevas and Regencia took the girls’ 14-U doubles title with an 8-3 romp over Eri Domiguez and Elumba while Cadavedo and Ryan Elumbaring winning the boys’ diadem with an 8-4 rout of Bandala and Nicholas Tan.