Close to 200 entries in eight age categories clash in another fierce battle for top honors and ranking points in the PPS-PEPP national age group tennis circuit, which resumed Wednesday at the Lacta tennis courts in Negros Occidental.
The five-day La Carlota leg was originally slated last April but was reset due to adverse weather conditions, enabling the bidders to toughen up more and bolster their respective chances in the Group 2 tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).
Alexander Po and Pete Rodriguez get the top two seedings in the boys’ 18-and-under play while Jufe-Ann Cocoy and Jasmine Jaran banner the cast in the girls’ premier division of the country’s longest-running age-grouper put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
The battle in 16-U class promises to be more exciting with both sides featuring full 32-player draws with Marben Alimarin, Jay Lorico, Paolo Manalang and Ian Guerra leading the boys’ cast and Daveaine Gauran, Shara Paliwag, Jasmine Jaran and Louchelaj Estember tipped to slug it out for the girls’ title.
Alimarin is also entered in 14-U, another full-roster division, which also includes Andrian Rodriguez, Jay Lorico and Kurt Barrera, while Paliwag and Gauran also brace for a face-off in their side of the duel.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, is the No. 1 seed in the 12-U category, also a 32-player cast, with Rafa Callao, Amik Serillo and Matthew Morris out to foil his bid while Isobel Alipoon and Mitch Cruspero are the marked players in the girls’ 12-U play of the tournament presented by Dunlop and sponsored by Mayor Rex Jalandoon.
