Pan, Echon steal limelight

Aldree Pan came away with a pair of victories in boys’ division while Jane Echon stunned the girls’ premier side as they led the charge of the lesser lights in the PPS-PEPP Ipil national age group tennis tournament at the 102nd Brigade Tennis Courts in Zamboanga Sibugay over the weekend.

The fourth-ranked Pan, 16, dropped just eight games in four matches to rule his age bracket, capping it with a 6-1, 6-3 romp over local bet Dave Palanas then the Duminag, Zambo del Sur rising star trounced John Compra, 6-2, 6-3, in the 18-U finals of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

The unranked Echon, on the other hand, crushed No. 2 Jalia Elumba, 6-0, 6-2, in the semis then the Olutanga, Zambo Sibugay find stopped fellow giant-killer Zhyryn Dislag, 6-3, 6-1, in their duel for the 18-U diadem to share the MVP honors with Pan in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala.

Other winners were Dipolog’s Pete Bandala (10-unisex) and Andrei Tan (boys’ 12-U), Palanas (14-U), Oroquieta’s Cielo Gonzales (girls’ 12-U), Elumba from Sindangan, Zambo del Norte, and Angel Repaja (girls’ 16-U) from Liloy, Zambo del Norte.

Bandala picked up another win with a 4-1, 4-1 rout of doubles partner Rose Mesiona’ Tan held off Kurtney Malmis, 6-3, 7-5; Palanas downed RG Calizar, 6-0, 6-2; Gonzales repulsed Neach Domiguez, 3-6, 7-6(6), 10-7; Elumba turned back Glaze Omos, 7-5, 6-2; and unseeded Repaja shocked top seed Faith Regencia, 6-3, 6-1.

“Pan and Echon’s feats should motivate and inspire other youngsters aiming to go big someday with the PPS-PEPP providing them the ranking tournaments and exposure they need in pursuit of glory,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Echon actually made it a “double” as she teamed up with Dislag to beat Regencia and Repaja, 8-4, for the 18-U doubles title with Al Ritz Pan and Jefferson Mallones snaring the boys’ plum with an 8-6 escape over Palanas and Aldree Pan.