Mcleen Gomera pulled through in the boys’ 16-and-under division while Jana Jelena ruled the girls’ 14-U side as they grabbed the MVP crowns in the Masters Top 8 at the SRJI Center Mall courts in San Carlos, Negros Occidental on Monday.
Six others also topped their respective age-group categories but Gomera, from Lanao del Norte, and Jelena, from Cavite, posted the worthiest victories to clinch the top honors in the tournament which gathered the top ranking junior players in last year’s edition of the country’s longest talent-search presented by Dunlop.
Gomera, who dominated the San Carlos City leg of the PPS-PEPP junior circuit last year, crushed fellow Lanao del Norte bet Kale Cyd Villamar, 6-0, 6-0, in the finals of the 16-U class that included Kurt Barrera, Gio Manito, Ariel Cabaral, Reign Maravilla and siblings Frank and France Dilao. He earlier trounced Manito, 6-2, 6-2, in the crossover semis with Villamar holding off Maravilla, 7-6(4), 6-3.
Jelena, on the other hand, repulsed Jayden Ballado from Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, 6-3, 7-6(1), in the 14-U battle that featured Marlyn Mesiona, Jan Dagoon, Jayden Ballado, Kate Imalay, Avegail Ansay, Queen Villa and Faith Lazaro.
Hans Cabellon, from Pardo, Cebu, and La Carlota’s Alexa Joy Milliam, meanwhile, captured the titles and gained ranking points in the premier 18-U category with the former ripping San Jose, Nueva Ecija’s Ivan Charles Manila, 6-0, 6-1, and the latter turning back Lapu-Lapu City’s Claire Nocos, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Other winners in the week-long event, sponsored by Mayor Rene Gustilo and Vice Mayor Criston Carmona, were Kimi Brodeth, Maristella Torrecampo, Josh Benedict Lim and Armik Gabrio Serillo.
Ormoc City’s Brodeth, who topped a number of last year’s PPS-PEPP legs put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro, toppled Bacolod’s Hannah Divinagracia, 4-6, 6-0, 6-0, for the girls’ 16-U trophy; Torrecampo from Los Baños repelled Ormoc’s Ma. Caroliean Fiel, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, in the girls’ 12-U finals; Lim, also from Lanao del Norte, warded off another Ormoc City bet Kenzo Brodeth, 7-5, 6-0, for the boys’ 14-U title; and Serillo from Dumaguete City defeated Claudwin Tonacao from Bogo City, Cebu, 6-1, 6-3, to snare the boys’ 12-U crown.
Meanwhile, action in the junior circuit, backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating), heats up in the Dinagyang Festival starting tomorrow (Jan. 11) in Iloilo City with Roxas City, Capiz hosting the next leg – the Gov. Fredenil Castro tournament – on Jan. 19-24. For details, contact Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
The Mayor Alfredo Benitez juniors tilt, on the other hand, will be held on Jan. 26-31 in Bacolod City while the Mayor Luigi Marcel Goni tournament is slated Feb. 2-7 in Bais City, Negros Oriental.