Hot De Asis dominates age-group tilt

Kiana de Asis came through with another title double while Karl Baran salvaged a victory in the boys’ 16-and-under class in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Pintaflores Festival age-group tennis tournament at the San Carlos City Tennis Center in Negros Occidental last Monday.

De Asis claimed the girls’ 14-U diadem by edging Kim Galanza, 4-1, 2-4, 10-6, in the quarters, nipping Bliss Bayking, 3-5, 4-1, 10-6, in the semis, before outlasting Shyryn Salazar, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 10-7 in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and held in conjunction with Pintaflores Festival celebrations.

Salazar advanced to the finals following a 4-1, 4-1 win over top seed Tracy Llamas.

De Asis, who also romped off with a pair of wins in Pontevedra and Panaad the last three weeks, repeated over Salazar, 6-0, 6-1, to bag the 16-U crown in the four-day tournament presented by Technifibre.

But local ace Bayking foiled De Asis, three-title bid, winning the centerpiece 18-U plum with a tough 6-7(5), 6-3, 10-7 triumph in the Group 5 tournament which also served as a prelude to the Pintaflores Festival Open Championship featuring the country’s leading players this week, also at the San Carlos Tennis Center.

For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP organizer and sports program development director at 09154046464.

Baran, also from La Carlota, posted a 4-0 (ret.) win over Reynan Mahusay to clinch the 16-U title but fell short of his bid in the 18-U finals, dropping a heartbreaking 4-6, 6-2, 11-9 setback to unranked Ryle Singson of the host city.