MaClean Barraquias wore down top seed Roel Capangpangan in a duel of power and baseline game as he hacked out a 6-4, 5-7, 10-6 decision to claim the men’s singles Open crown in the PPS-PEPP Buglasan Tennis Festival at the Praxevilla Tennis Courts in Dumaguete City last Sunday.
The No. 2 Barraquias later teamed up with sibling Keane to score a repeat over Capangpangan and Carmelo Cabaral, 8-6, and bag the doubles diadem to sweep the centerpiece division of the Group I tournament that served as part of Negros Oriental’s “Festivals of Festivals.”
Sharing top honors were Legends division winners Mories Mesiona and Gundel Orcullo, Randy Tatoy and Vardy Vincoy, and Rudy Cabatit and Tony Alviola, while young Khymbery McKenzie and Randy Tatoy II dominated the juniors division of the event put up by Gov. Roel Degamo in tie-up with Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Mesiona and Orcullo routed John Lundqvist and Rameses Tolin, 8-3, in the 40s finals; Tatoy and Vincoy trounced Angel Mahinay and Tolin, 8-4, for the 50s title; and Cabatit and Alviola crushed Glem Grapa and Chabby Saberon, 8-4, to pocket the 60s plum in the event presented by Dunlop and backed by MCF Global.
McKenzie, meanwhile, stunned top seed Ellaine Bahonsua, 4-1, 0-4, 10-5, in the semis then held off sibling Ashley McKenzie, 6-4, 6-3, to clinch the girls’ 18-and-under crown while Tatoy II thumped top seed Lorenz Celis, 6-3, 6-1, in the boys’ 18-U finals.
Khymberly actually completed a rare “treble” as she ruled the 14- and 16-and-under classes over Faith Banico, 7-6(4), 4-2, and Ashley, 6-3, 6-4, respectively, while Tatoy II completed a double by blasting Philip Mesiona, 6-0, 6-0, in the 16-U finals.
Herman Illusorio fended off Kirby Ramacho, 6-3, 7-5, for the boys 14-U crown while Banico whipped Jean Patoc, 4-1, 4-0, and Ramacho ripped Kurt Barrera, 6-2, 6-1, in the 12-U finals; and David Sepulveda turned back top seed and doubles partner Pete Bandala, 6-4, 5-7, 10-6, in the 10-unisex championship.
The McKenzies also copped the doubles 18-U plum with an 8-3 romp over Bahonsua and Ghilliana Yu with Celis and Jerson Padilla clinching the boys’ title with an 8-7(1) decision over Clyde Singson and Emmanuel Carmona. Other winners were Banico-Sheynna Yu and Illusorio-Ramacho (14-U) and Sepulveda-Bandala (10-unisex).
Meanwhile, action shifts to San Carlos City for the Pintaflores Festival on Oct. 26-Nov.4. Listup is ongoing, For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.