Local ace Althea Martirez hopes to ride the momentum of her two-title run in Roxas City as she goes for another “double” even as Drixcyn Guillano tries to rebound from a failed bid last week in the PPS-PEPP MCF Global national age-group tournament firing off today at LaPaz tennis courts in Iloilo City.
Martirez, from Central Phl U, will be facing practically the same field she bested in the girls’ singles 16- and 18-and-under divisions in Roxas City plus a number of new faces aiming to steal the spotlight in the Group I tournament presented by Mayor Jerry Trenas in partnership with the MCF Global and Mac’s Crankit Foundation.
They include Avril Suace, Rissa Cubos, Stephanie Crisosto, Petrina Aguirre and Crystal Ojaldon with Aguirre bannering the 14-U section that also drew Aleeva Suace, Jasmine Jaran and Dolores Hofilena with Queen Villa and Lourraine Jallorina joining Aleeva Suace and Hofilena in the 12-U category.
Foiled by Kendrick Bona, a Mac’s Crankit-MCF Global protégé, in Roxas City, Guillano is going all-out for a big comeback, eyeing to sweep the boys’ 16- and 18-U titles in the five-day event presented by Dunlop, which also serves as part of the countrywide talent search put up by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
But out to stop Guillano are Rewel Justiniani, Joshua Raymundo, Roger Lamparero and Roxas City leg winner Nikhel Nowlakha with Bona also setting out to score a repeat in 16-U play that also features Gerald Gemida, Elemar Sealza, Angelo Mejia, Raymundo and Lamparero.
Gemida, meanwhile, gains the top seeding in the boys’ 14-U side that includes Bona, Sealza, Derrick Guillano, Marben Alimarin, Jann Ituriaga, Lester Astromenada and Benedict Santiago, who repulsed Bona to snare the crown last week.
Other titles to be disputed are in the 12-U category and 10-unisex along with 10-U, 14-U and 18-U doubles and the Legends 40s, 50s and 60s categories. For details, contact PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.