TUGADE ROCKS
Isulan netter upsets top-ranked Ringia
VINCE EJ Tugade of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat scored a 6-2, 6-0 upset victory over world junior campaigner Janus Ringia of South Cotabato to capture the boys 16-under title of the just-concluded Philippine Sports Commission-Philippine Tennis Association (PSC-Philta) Age Group Tennis Championships at Ecoland Phas 4 Tennis Club courts in Davao City.
Second-seeded Tugade earlier escaped a 6-3, 5-7, 10-5 win over Nicole Gorospe while Ringia breezed past Kylde Lagarde, 6-2, 6-0, in their respective semifinals.
Island Garden City of Samal's Christian Fel Lopez, meanwhile, pocketed the boys 18-under title. The unseeded Lopez outclassed Lordrens Pacheco of Davao City, 6-3, 6-4 in the championship match.
Lopez, however, survived past topranked Ringia, 7-6 (5),4-6, 13-11in their semifinals clash while Pacheco also came from a tight 6-2, 3-6, 11-9 victory over Tugade.
Carlyn Bless Guarde of Sultan Kudarat, for her part, clinched two titles. She turned back Hanna Amazona of Banaybanay, Davao Oriental, 6-4, 6-1, in girls 16-under final then subdued Nicole Bautista, 6-0, retire, in their girls 18-under titular showdown.
Amazona, however, bounced back by beating Theresa Nacito, 6-1, 6-4, for the girls 14-under crown. But the latter salvaged the girls 12-under title at the expense of Poun Palac whom she defeated, 6-2, 6-2.
Unheralded Carlos Santiago ruled the boys 14-under class over Andrei Padao, 6-2, 6-4, while Rodick Litang pulled off a 6-2, 3-6, 10-6 win over Padao in boys 12-under.
The 10-under unisex champion was BB Matubang who demolished Christian Angus, 6-2, 6-0.
Philta regional vice-president Juanito "Titong" Cansino, Jr. congratulated the winners and participants of the tournament and the free three-day tennis clinic backed by the PSC.
Cansino said, "We really need to have a sustainable regional sports development program since most of the collegiate players come from the provinces."