Local ace Glydel Guevarra and JB Aguilar nailed victories in the 12- and 14-and-under divisions of their respective sides to share top honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Iriga leg regional age group tennis tournament in Camarines Sur last Monday.
The top-seeded Guevarra lived up to hype as she crushed Carla Andrada twice – a 6-0, 6-3 romp in the 12-U finals and a 6-1, 6-1 victory to dominate the 14-U section of the Group 4 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
No. 2 Aguilar matched that feat in his side of the battle, ripping top seed Mario Corea, 6-1, 6-3, for the 12-U title then as unranked player in the 14-U side, the Camalig, Albay bet upended second seed Miller Corea of Iriga, 4-6, 6-4, 10-3, at the University of St. Anthony Tennis courts in Camarines Sur.
Marcel, meanwhile, saved the day for the Coreas as he turned back Aa Aguilar, 5-4(3), 0-4, 4-2, to snare the 10-unisex plum in the five-day event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg.
Other winners were Naga’s Osward Hernandez and Walter Luzon, who ruled the boys’ 16- and 18-U categories, respectively, while local aces Patricia Corporal topped the girls’ 16-U side and Nica Alanis reigned in the premier 18-U division.
“With five local winners, Iriga again proved it has a wide base of talents although promising faces still emerged, including Luzon, who we hope to develop to become members of future national pool,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/COO Bobby Castro.