NEW faces emerged winners in the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series leg in Dumalag, Capiz, led by double winners Althea Rose Martirez from New Washington, Aklan and Louise Claire Clavaton from Roxas City.
Clavaton copped both the girls’ 16 and 18 & under titles as she beat Iloilo City’s Joane Joy Alison, 8-1, for the 18-under crown.
Earlier, she fashioned another easy 8-2 win over Avril Andrea Suace from Sta. Barbara, Iloilo in the tournament co-sponsored by Dunlop Sports as the official ball.
Martirez duplicated the feat, defeating Suace, 8-6, in the 16-under and local bet Wella Mae Fullo, 8-0, for the12-under title.
“Over the past 10 years, this series has discovered and produced erstwhile unknown young tennis champions from the provinces. We will continue this program as our contribution to the development of tennis in the country,” said Cebuana Lhuillier President /CEO and current Philippine Tennis Association Chairman Jean Henri Lhuillier, who initiated the tennis grassroots program in 2006.
In the boys’ side of the competition supported by Dumalag Mayor Amado Eriberto Castro Jr., who provided free billeting to the visiting players, Kalibo, Aklan native Lorenzo Angelo Legaspi edged out Iloilo City’s Mark Crososto, 8-6, for the boys’ 18-under crown, while local bet Justin mart Alba won the only title that remained in local hands after beating Legaspi, 8-6, in the finals of the boys’ 16- under.
The boys’ 14-under was won by Cabatuan, Iloilo’s JJ Chrysler Gazo as he posted an impressive 8-1 trashing of another local bet Joshua Feca.
Roxas City’s Dryxcin Jann Guillano, meanwhile, took home the boys’ 12-under title with an easy 8-2 victory over Kalibo City bet Rafael Antonio Legaspi. Earlier, Nino Ronald Rey from Kalibo swept Roxas City’s 4-2, 4-1 in the finals of the 10-under age group.
Next leg for the series is on Oct. 14 to 18 in Legaspi City, Albay, according to series organizer Mario Craiz.