Alexa Milliam survived an early test then dominated Kimi Brodeth while local ace Nikhel Nowlakha outdueled Benedict Santiago in a tense-filled tiebreaker as they led the winners in the PPS-PEPP National Age Group tennis tournament in Iloilo City over the weekend.
The second seeded Milliam barely pulled through in the opening set then the rising La Carlota, Negros Occidental star re-asserted her might over Brodeth in the next to hack out a 5-4(4), 4-0 victory, while Nowlakha, from Cabatuan, foiled Santiago, 1-4, 4-2, 12-10, in the premier 18-and-under finals at the La Paz courts.
Other winners in the Group 2 tournament which marked the return of junior tennis after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 pandemic and which drew players from Puerto Princesa, Ormoc, Dumaguete, Cebu, Bacolod and Panay Island were Brodeth and Elemar Sealza (16-U), Therese Gauran and Renante Bravo (14-U), Iloilo’s Louraine Jallorina and Rafa Callao (12-U) and Theriz Zapatos (10-unisex).
Brodeth, from Ormoc, made up for her failed bid in the 18-U as she toppled top seed Gauran, 4-2, 4-2, while Sealza, from Alimodian, Iloilo, ripped Bravo, 4-2, 4-0; Gauran, from Tayasan, Negros, overpowered Jallorina, 4-0, 4-0; and Bravo, also from Ormoc, clipped Kenzo Brodeth, 5-3, 4-1.
Jallorina, on the other hand, dispatched Zapatos, 4-0, 4-0; Callao turned back Rafael Santiago, 4-0, 5-4(2); and Zapatos, from Buruanga, Aklan, outclassed Diana Alcarde, 4-0, 4-0, in the event put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala president and CEO Bobby Castro and backed by Dunlop, the official ball, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).
Meanwhile, action shifts to Bacolod on April 6-9 while La Carlota will host the next stop of the nationwide circuit on April 10-13. For listup and details, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
Rolando Ruel and Gee Abacan, meanwhile, trounced Mark Gayo and Danilo Sajonia, 8-3, to clinch the Open doubles diadem in the Legends division with the duo likewise ruling the 40s division with an 8-0 rout of Rodel Bores and Jafar Bagambang.
Sajonia earlier teamed up with Jose Virata to beat Anot Balgos and Ramon Chavez, 8-1, for the 50s title while Fulgencio Legaspi and Simon Nicor took the 60s plum with an 8-3 romp over Eugene Operiano and Noel Siasat.
