Anthony Castigador carved out a pair of victories to match Hannah Divinagracia’s two-title romp in the distaff side as they shared the MVP honors in the PPS-PEPP Mayor Jerry Trenas national juniors tennis championships at La Paz courts in Iloilo last Tuesday.
While he yielded just three games in four matches to top his age-group category, capped by a 4-0, 4-0 victory over Marben Alimarin in the finals, the 12-year-old Castigador gutted it out in the tougher 14-and-U play, repulsing fellow Iloilo City Sports Academy standout Rizzjun Labindao, 4-2, 5-3, and completing a twinkill in boys’ singles in the Group 2 tournament held in conjunction with the city’s 86th Charter anniversary celebration.
Divinagracia, meanwhile, stamped her class in her side of the battle as the Bacolod ace came away with a pair of shutout wins over Ave Maria Policarpio and Aleeva Suace in the 16- and 18-and-U finals, respectively, of the tournament hosted by Mayor Jerry Trenas and sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala, headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Cebu City’s RB John Lataza took the boys’ 18-and-U trophy with a 4-0, 4-0 romp over Ian Ituriaga from Sara, Iloilo City, who earlier upended top seed Jeremy Napiere, 5-4(2), 6-0, to claim the 16-and-U diadem, while Bogo City’s Pete Niere routed Don Olavides, 4-1, 4-1, for the 10-unisex crown.
Second ranked Louraine Jallorina, also from ICSA, thumped No. 1 Ave Maria Policarpio, 4-0, 4-0, to run away with the girls’ 14-and-U plum, while Bacolod City’s Isobel Alipo-on upended top seed Stella Policarpio, 4-0, 4-0, in the quarterfinals, held off Annie Dante, 5-4(4), 4-2, in the semis then survived Theriz Zapatos, 4-0, 4-5(5), 10-7, to snare the 12-and-U diadem.
In doubles play, Lataza and Napiere rolled past Elemar Sealza and Ituriaga, 8-3, and Divinagracia and Alexandra Onte clobbered Maria Aguirre and Suace, 8-2, to share the 18-and-U honors; while Dave Hechanova and Dylan Octaviano foiled siblings Pete and Gil Niere, 8-2, and Jallorina and Jannah Justalero downed Maxene Panizales and Claire Fungo. 8-3, in the 14-and-U finals.
The Nieres, however, captured the 10-unisex crown with an 8-2 win over Diana Alcarde and Prince Crisosto. Meanwhile, the next PPS-PEPP leg will be held in the City of Mati in Davao Oriental on Aug. 31-Sept. 4 with Tagum City hosting the next stop on Sept. 7-11 in Davao del Norte.
