Padilla scores PPS Oroquieta net twinkill
CASSEY PADILLA pulled off a pair of reversals to snare the girls’ 12- and 14and- under titles in the Palawan Pawnshop- Palawan Express Pera Padala Oroquieta leg regional tennis tournament at the Oroquieta Lawn Tennis Association and DPWH Tennis Club in Misamis Occidental on Monday.
Padilla leaned on her baseline game to upend top seed Kristine Bandolis, 6-3, 6-4, in the 12-U finals then the rising Cagayan de Oro star stopped Ella Ramirez, 6-3, 6-0, to claim the 14-U diadem and emerge the lone double winner in the Group 1 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
Second seed Steven Sonsona also repulsed No. 1 and doubles partner Stephen Guia, 7- 5, 6- 3, to annex the boys’ 16- U title but the Tubod, Lanao ace failed to match Padilla’s feat as he bowed to No. 4 Nilo Ledama of Pagadian City, 3- 6, 6- 2, 4- 10, in the 18U finals of the event which also staked ranking points for free training abroad under the Unified Tennis Program.
Sonsona and Guia later teamed up to beat Bruce Hurtado and Ledama, 8- 4, and win the 18- U doubles plum in the tournament backed by the UTP, led by PPS- PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B- Meg.
Sonsona and Padilla later shared the MVP honors.
Other winners were Robie Baulete of Iligan (girls’ 18-U), Jan Marie Anghag of Ozamiz (girls’ 16-U), John David Velez of Davao (boys’ 14-U), Oroquieta’s Nash Agustines (boys’ 12-U) and Tubod, Lanao’s Kale Villamar (10-unisex), Baulete and Mae Mendoza (girls’ 18-U doubles), Bandolis and Judy Ann Padilla (girls’ 14-U doubles), Heimz Carbonilla and Eric Tangub (boys’ 14-U doubles) and Vinz Bering and Kale Villamar (10-U doubles).
Meanwhile, action in the country’s premier age- group circuit resumes on Thursday ( Aug. 31) with the PPS Dipolog leg at the RGS Tennis Club while Cebu City will host the next stop on Sept. 7- 11 where the Macs Crankit Community Coaching Conference will also be held from Sept. 8- 10, according to PPS- PEPP sports program development director Bobby Mangunay. For details, call 09154046464.