The country’s long-running age-group tennis circuit kicks off its summer tour tomorrow as the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala holds simultaneous tournaments in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Over 200 entries clash for top honors and ranking points at the Consolacion Tennis Club for the five-day Cebu leg, a Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
Tracy Llamas and Kiana de Asis banner the field in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under divisions with Lyra Repollo and Shedel Gica (16-U) and Kristin Salimbangon and Wynedale Paglinawan (18-U) out to crowd the fancied La Carlota bets for the crown.
Meanwhile, Gen. Santos City will hold its own tournament on April 19-23. For details, call PPS-PEPP Regional Age Group Tennis Event organizer and Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
“The circuit will not only keep the youth busy this summer but will also boost their ranking in their respective groups,” said Palawan Pawnshop president Bobby Castro.
Mactan will host the next stop in the Visayas on April 22-26 while the Koronadal leg will be played on April 24-28 before Tacloban takes its turn on April 28-May 2 and Tagum on April 30-May 4.
Baybay, Leyte will stage the next leg on May 3-7 to be followed by the Maasin stage on May 8-12 and the Ubay, Bohol stop on May 13-17 while the Sultan Kudarat leg will be held June 15-19.
Three summer legs will be also staged in Luzon, including at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque on May 18-22, at the Manila Southwoods on May 24-28 andin Legazpi City on May 27-June 4.
Rewel Justiniani, Francis Navales, Prince Dimate and Troy Llamas lead the title chase in the boys’ 18-U category of the event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg.