SYDNEY Ezra Enriquez upended top seed Carlyn Guarde twice in the higher age group to complete a rare three-title feat in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Koronadal leg regional age group tennis tournament at the Koronadal Sports Complex in South Cotabato yesterday.
Janus Ringia, meanwhile, sustained his win run, sweeping the boys’ 16- and 18-and-under crowns to share the MVP honors with Enriquez in the Group 2 tournament held as part of the Mindanao summer tour sponsored Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
The 14-year-old Enriquez stamped her class over Chloveay Pulido, scoring a shutout 6-0, 6-0 title romp in her age group then stunned Guarde, 6-1, 6-2, in the 16-U finals before out-steadying the fancied Sultan Kudarat bet in a thrilling duel, 7-5, 7-6(4), to clinch the 18-U diadem.
“Winning two titles in the higher division speaks well of Enriquez’s caliber. Her rare feat should also inspire the other young players to work and strive harder in pursuit of their lofty goals,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Ringia, meanwhile, posted a pair of abbreviated victories to make it back-to-back, scoring a 4-0(ret.) win over Nicole Gorospe in the 16-U finals then the Sultan Kudarat ace stopped Steve Sonsona, 6-0, 4-1(ret.) for the 18-U crown, matching his two-title feat in last week’s Gen. Santos City leg of the circuit backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg.
Top seed Brent Cortez from Tubod, Lanao lived up to his billing to thumped Michael Padao, 6-0, 6-2, to pocket the boys’ 14-U plum; Digos City’s Andrei Padao repulsed No. 1 Al Rasheed Lucman, 6-0, 6-0, in the semis then turned back second seed Rey Napala, 6-4, 6-4, to snare the 12-U crown; while top-ranked Shieloh Ripdos crushed Mae Melendres, 6-0,6-0, to bag the girls’ 12-U diadem.
Lucman, from Malaybalay, Bukidnon, earlier bested Anthony Galvez, 4-2, 4-0, to annex the 10-unisex title.
Enriquez actually capped her solid campaign with another win, teaming up with Kisses Yap to blast Jing Yi Cai and Princess Cerbito, 8-0, in the 18-U doubles final with Bruce Hurtado and Gorospe wresting the boys’ crown with an 8-6 victory over Richard Bautista and Uzziel Pepito.
Jonamil Prado and Pulido took the girls’ 14-U doubles plum with an 8-5 victory over Julia Eramis and Stephanie Basadre while Napala and Padao snared the boys’ title via the same scoreline, 8-5, over Benjamin Ringia and Cortez.
Alexis Quinones and Ernest Aspacio edged Alexander Quinones and Maurice Labrador, 8-6, for the 10-U doubles diadem.