Ashley McKenzie upstaged top seed Lyrah Repollo twice to claim the girls’ 14- and 16-and-under crowns in the recent Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Argao leg regional age-group tennis tournament at the Argao courts in Cebu.
The fourth-ranked McKenzie, born to a Cebuana mother and Australian father, downed Repollo, 6-4, 6-2, in the 14-U finals then as No. 3, she upended second seed Bless Coderos, 6-3, 6-3, in the semis then repeated over Repollo, 7-6(2), 3-2(ret.) to pocket the 16-U diadem in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
She later teamed up with sister Kimberly to nip Dec Montanez and Grace Lanete, 8-6, and seal the 14-U doubles crown, emerging the lone three-title winner in the five-day event presented by Slazenger and backed by the Unified Tennis Philippines, including PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.
Unranked Raymund Goco from Bogo, Cebu, meanwhile, ripped second seed Gerald Gemida, 6-2, 6-0, to snare the boys’ 12-U plum.
Coderos, from Consolacion, Cebu, made up for her earlier setback by holding off Beverly Enriquez, 2-6, 7-5, 10-4, to notch the 18-U crown while Kimberly McKenzie snatched the 12-U title with a thrilling 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 victory over top seed Corazon Lambonao.
Naga, Cebu’s Vhon Tudtud played true to form and trounced Adrian Nacilla, 7-5, 6-2, for the boys’ 18-U diadem; Bohol’s Mike Dee held off Mark Albarracin, 6-4, 6-4, for the 16-U crown; Mandaue, Cebu’s Kenneth Tenepre, thwarted Cedrix Bravo, 6-4, 2-6, 10-8, for the 14-U plum; and Gio Manito from Pardo, Cebu turned back Shara Paliwag, 2-4, 4-1, 5-4(2), for the 10-unisex plum.