Arriana Maglana smothered doubles partner Lorraine Alegria twice while Vancidrik Rosalinda posted a victory and a runner-up finish as they took the spotlight in the PPS-PEPP Mayor Angelito Cabalquinto national championships at the Maragusan Municipal courts in Davao de Oro last Sunday.
Maglana pulled through in a tight first-set skirmish in 12-and-under finals and routed Alegria in the next to fashion out a 7-6(6), 6-0 victory. She then overwhelmed her fellow Maragusan native in the 14-and-U championship, 6-1, 6-0, to emerge as the lone “double” winner in the Group 2 event, the first of three tournaments lined up in Davao region.
Davao Oriental will host the next PPS-PEPP leg on Aug. 31-Sept. 4 while the Tagum City championships will be staged on Sept. 7-11 in Davao del Norte.
The top-seeded Rosalinda, who also hails from Maragusan, claimed the boys’ 14-and-U title with a 6-3, 6-0 romp over Rodney Montenegro but unranked Ian Gayem from Davao City foiled him in the 16-and-U finals, scoring a come-from-behind 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 decision.
But Rosalinda’s 1-2 finishes earned him a share of MVP honors with Maglana in the week-long event presented by Dunlop and held as part of the PPS-PEPP junior program put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Chelsea Bernaldez and Randy Pausanos topped the premier 18-and-U category in varying fashions with the former, from Tagum City, getting back at top seed AJ Acabo, 5-7, 6-1, 10-8, for the girls’ crown and the former, from Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, blasting Mark Lacia, 6-1, 6-1, in the boys’ final.
Acabo, from Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay, earlier clinched the 16-and-U trophy in an equally tough duel with Bernaldez, 6-4, 4-6, 10-7, while second seed Matt Docena, also from Maragusan, tripped No. 1 Vanizer Acabo in the boys’ 12-and-U final of the event backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).
No. 3 Kresthan Belacas, from M’lang, North Cotabato, repulsed second ranked Jaycee Compa, 4-0, 4-2, to pocket the 10-unisex diadem.
Maglana actually took home three trophies as she and Alegria downed Camille Clar and Princess Placa, 8-2, in the girls’ 14-and-U doubles finals, while AJ Acabo and Faith Lazaro took the 18-and-U title via the same scoreline.
Docena and Nico Puertos snatched the boys’ 14-and-U doubles plum with an 8-7(3) escape over Rein Hayana and Kendrick Migue, while Gayem and Sam Jamili held off Lucky Antiola and Lacia, 8-4, for the 18-and-U trophy.
Belacas also teamed up with Maria Dimzon to beat Compa and Keith Mamaba, 8-2, in the 10-unisex doubles final.
