Patrombon, Arcilla top picks in Valenzuela netfest

DAVIS Cuppers Jeson Patrombon and Johnny Arcilla set out as the top picks, while Aileen Rogan and Clarice Patrimonio banner the women’s singles cast in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Actifit Open Tennis Championships unfolding on Monday at the Actifit Sports Center in Valenzuela City.

A huge field is vying for top honors in the P300,000 event that drew some of the country’s leading players and rising stars, including Fritz Verdad, Mark Alcoseba, Noel Damian, Deo Talatayod, Rolando Ruel Jr. and Rodolfo Barquin. Rachel Velez, Miles Vitaliano, Alexie Santos, Mikaela Vicencio, Patricia Lim and Nica Alanis, on the other hand, join the title hunt in the women’s side of the top-level event put up by Palawan Pawnshop, headed by President and CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Dunlop.

Twenty-one players, led by Athan Arejola and Rafael Liangco, dispute the last four berths in the men’s main draw in the qualifying round on Thursday while 13 bidders, headed by Alexa Milliam and Dana Uy, fight it out for the last two seats in the women’s draw of the event co-organized by John Mari Altiche and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-MEG.

Spicing up the event is the Legends men’s doubles featuring the 40s, 50s and 60s age divisions set this weekend. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development Director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Milliam, meanwhile, cruised to the semifinals in the 14- and 16-under divisions, while John David Velez also advanced to the boys’ 18-under semifinals and in the quarterfinals of the 16-under category in junior play of the event backed by Liquid Gold Wine and Spirits, Ayala Amity Centennial Lions Club, Skin Rejuve and Calle Café.

Joining the No. 2 Milliam, who eased out Isabelle Marasigan, 4-1, 4-0, in the 14-under semifinals are top seed Alexi Jarata, who routed Chelsea Roque, 4-0, 4-1; and Akithma Dias, who upset No. 4 Jiana Hernandez, 4-1, 4-2, while Elvin Geluz and Abraham Lawyer clinched the other semis seats in the boys’ 18-under category.