FAMILIAR names once again dominated the action at the recent Oroquieta City leg of the on-going Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series, with Iligan City bet Rovie Baulete leading the charge by winning two singles’ and one doubles’ titles.
Baulete had an easy default victory over Ozamiz City’s Janmarie Anghag for the girls’ 16-under title, then eked out a 7-5, 6-4 win over another Iligan City bet Annamarie Mendoza in the finals of the girls’ 18-under. She also teamed up with Mendoza to rule the 18-under girls’ doubles, beating Cristy Daliman and Princess Grace Gemina, 8-6, in the finals of the tournament supported by Dunlop as the official ball.
A double winner was Dapitan City’s Jason Saavedra as he ruled the boys’ 18-under with a 6-1, 2-6, 10-5 win over 16-under champion Stephen Zion Guia from Dipolog.
Saavedra also shared the boys’ 18-under crown with Eurei Tagal after they beat John Steven Sonsona and Winston Fernandez, 8-5, in the championship match. Guia, meanwhile, went home with the 16-under title after disposing of Lanao del Norte bet Sonsona, 7-5, 6-2, in the finals.
“I am happy that despite the tension in some parts of Mindanao, we were still able to continue with our leg in Misamis Oriental with a lot of young players from different Mindanao provinces joining the tournament. It speaks well of their passion for the game,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier President/CEO, who initiated this grassroots tennis program 11 years ago to promote the game in the provinces.
Other champions in the boys’ side were local bet Nash Agustines in the 12-under as he took out Heinz Asian Carbonilla from Lanao del Norte in two sets, 6-2, 7-5; and perennial winner Brent Signmond Cortes, a native of Tubod, Lanao del Norte, who added the boys’ 14-under title to his collection following his come from behind 1-6, 6-4, 10-3 win over Eric Jay Tangub from Zamboanga del Sur.
In the distaff side, Kristin Guia Margarette Bandolis , also from Tubod, had a walk-over win over Ma. Maxiel Rica Labrador of Zamboanga del Norte for the 14-under crown, while earlier, she also swept Dapitan City’s Christine Gula-gula, 6-1, 6-0, in the finals of the 12-under to emerge a double winner, too.