Chad Cuizon flashed top form to nail a pair of 10-unisex titles while Alexa Milliam logged another multiple wins in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala La Carlota leg regional tennis tournament cast at the Lacta Tennis courts in Negros Occidental yesterday.
The 10-year-old Cuizon from Centrex, Lapu Lapu, Cebu dropped just two games in securing the singles crown, trouncing Giovani Dimate, 4-0, 4-2, then teamed up with Jake Rodriguez to topple Dimate and Louchela Estember, 8-4, for the doubles diadem in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
Milliam, on the other hand, sustained her romp in Roxas City last week as she ruled the girls’ 12- and 14-U classes of the event, which served as the eighth leg of the 54-stage circuit hosted by Mayor Jacky Jalandoni and Vice Mayor Rex Jalando-on.
Milliam shut out Willyn Segura, 6-0, 6-0, for the 12-U plum then the local ace held off Wendy Galanza, 6-1, 6-4, for the 14-U title in the tournament sanctioned by Philta and backed by Asiatraders Corp.
“Cuizon and Milliam’ feats should serve as inspiration to the other young players and the Palawan Pawnshop circuit will continue to provide them the country-wide, year-round tournaments,” said Palawan Pawnship president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Milliam also partnered with Mika Medina to crush Segura and Psalm Pielago, 8-2, for the 14-U doubles plum and later shared the MVP honors with Cuizon.
Valerie Desoyo actually foiled Milliam’s bid for a third title in singles, topping the 16-U side with a tough 7-6(0), 7-6(3) victory, then whipped Kim Galanza, 6-4, 6-1, for the 18-U crown to cap the local bets’ romp in the event.
Khenz Justiniani, another La Carlota bet, foiled Cuizon in the 12-U finals, 6-3, 6-3; Bacolod’s Pete Rodriguez took the 14-U crown with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Justiniani; Pontevedra’s Reynan Mahusay overpowered RJ Dejilla, 6-0, 6-1, for the 16-U title; while Karl Baran, also of La Carlota, survived Reyniel Marcellana, 6-2, 5-7, 10-8, to snare the 18-U diadem.
Baran and Marcellano, meanwhile, routed JJ Gazo and Mahusay, 8-2, to claim the boys’ 18-U doubles title; while Joshua Raymundo and Rodriguez subdued Justiniani and Kerwin de Asis, 8-3, for the 14-U crown.
Meanwhile, action goes to Mindanao starting Thursday (March 16) with the staging of the Davao leg, another Group 2 tournament, set at the GSIS Tennis Club. For details, call Bobby Mangunay, the PPS-PEPP sports program development director at 0915-4046464.