Bentillo eyes ‘triple’ in PPS Gen. San

FOILED at home last week, April Minette Bentillo tries to do it on the road as she guns for three division titles in the PPS- PEPP Gen. Santos regional age- group tennis tournament, which got going yesterday ( Saturday) at the Gen. Santos City Tennis Courts.

The 14- year- old Bentillo hopes to live up to her top billing in all three categories, including her age bracket and make up for her setbacks in the 16- and 18- and- under finals in last week’s Sultan Kudarat stop of the circuit sponsored by Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/ CEO Bobby Castro.

But a slew of players will be out to foil her bid, including Jillian Manangking and Angela Ripdos in 14-U, and Ma. Angelica Novis, Kyle Rivera and local bet Febe Lagarde in both the 16- 18-U titles of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

Bruce Hurtado and Alfred Directo, meanwhile, are tipped to slug it out in the boys’ premier 18-U category with Karl Palo, Jay Balaoing, Jude Padao and Directo headlining the 16-U cast in the four- day event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.

Padao, Balaoing and Palo also banner the huge 14-U cast that includes Reyman Saldivar Jr., Jason Flores Jr., Charles Jumawan, Rey Napala and Armando Saldivar, who gains the top seeding in the 32-player 12-U draw with Flores as No. 2 and Jumawan and Shaun Globasa seeded third and fourth, respectively.

Palo and Alex Uy, meanwhile, loom as the players to beat in the 10- unisex category that also drew the likes of Cian Ramirez, Globasa, Pete Mateo, Herarych Labandero and Yusuf Maldo.

Manangking, on the other hand, seeks the crown in the girls’ 12-U play against Angela Ripdos and a slew of others with the former also bracing for a tough outing against Bentillo in the 14-U division.

Meanwhile, action in the Mindanao swing of the country’s biggest and longestrunning age- grouper shifts to Digos City on June 28 to July 1. Listup is ongoing For details, call 09154046464.