Elsie Abarquez and Sal Andrei Lago overwhelmed their rivals and won two titles each in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Bohol leg regional age-group tennis tournament at the Sto. Niño Tennis Club yesterday.
But while the top seeded Abarquez lived up to her billing and cruised to victories in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under divisions, the fourth-ranked Lago upended No. 3 Andrei Estember, 6-1, 6-2, to pocket the boys’ 12-U crown.
The Sogod, Leyte rising star then worked his way up as an unranked bet in the 14-U side, stunning No. 3 Mykk Lungay, 6-0, 6-4, in the quarterfinal round, repulsing Jericho Otico, 4-6, 6-2, 10-6, in the semis before whipping Mike Dee, 6-0, 6-1, to clinch the crown.
Abarquez, from Carcar, Cebu, rapped Alexa Milliam, 6-1, 6-2, to bag the 16-U title then dominated Kiana de Asis, 6-2, 6-2, in the 18-U finals to likewise share the MVP honors with Lago in the Group 2 tournament hosted by Ubay, Bohol Mayor Costan Reyes and sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Milliam also came away with two victories.