Vince Serna and AJ Acabo pulled off victories in varying fashions to foil Thomas Gabuat and Ma. Judyann Padilla’s bid for another two-title sweep in the PPS-PEPP National age group tennis tournament at the Sindangan tennis courts in Zamboanga del Norte over the weekend.
Serna, ranked ninth in the full-packed 32-player draw in the boys’ 18-and-under division, racked up four straight wins to barge into the finals then outsteadied Gabuat in a tense-filled decider, 6-2, 2-6, 10-6, while Acabo got back at Padilla in the girls’ 16-U finals, 6-3, 6-2, to lead the winners in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.
But Gabuat kept the 16-U crown with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over top seed Neo Maratas, while Padilla reigned in the 18-U play for the second straight week with a 6-2, 6-3 romp over Acabo.
“Serna and Acabo’s victories further underscored the level playing field and we expect more new faces to emerge as the circuit holds more tournaments in various towns and cities in search for talents,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Other winners in the four-day tournament serving as part of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala age grouper’s Mindanao swing were Dipolog’s Rashdi Macaundas, Alexa Manahan from Manukan, Zambo del Norte, Maranding’s Josh Lim and local bet Marlyn Mesiona.
Macaundas routed Yuree Madrona, 6-3, 6-2, while Manahan edged Nathalie Barrios, 7-6(4), 6-4, to share the 12-U honors, while Lim upended top seed Pete Bandala, 6-1, 6-4, and Mesiona trampled Cielo Gonzales, 6-1, 6-1, to split the 14-U diadems.
Liloy will host the next stop on April 28-30, both in Zambo del Norte. The circuit moves to Lanao del Norte on May 1-3 for the Maranding leg and then to Oroquieta City in Misamis Oriental on May 4-6.
