Tugade, Velez top Isulan netfest
LOCAL ace Vince EJ Tugade and Davao’s Patricia Velez pulled off a pair of tough victories each to dominate the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group presented by Technifibre Isulan leg at the Isulan Capitol Tennis Club in Sultan Kudarat Saturday.
Tugade, ranked second in the boys’ 16-and-under division, rebounded from a first-set defeat to stun top seed Janus Ringia, 2-6, 6-4, 10-7, in the finals to the delight of the local crowd then, as top seed, held off Klyde Lagarde, 7-5, 6-1, to capture the 14-U title in the four-day, Group 3 tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez.
The second seeded Velez also fought back from a first-set loss to upend No. 1 Carlyn Guarde, 3-6, 7-5, 10-7, and snare the girls’ 16-U plum then turned back top seed Nicole Bautista, 6-3, 7-5, to annex the premier 18-U crown in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and held as part of the birthday celebration of Sultan Pax Mangudadatu.
“Tugade and Velez are two of the rising stars making their mark in the circuit and the reversals only underscored the level playing field in all categories,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro. “This is what the Palawan Pawnshop circuit is all about – to discover more and more talents, especially in the countryside.”
Ringia redeemed himself in the 16-U finals, beating Lordrens Pacheco, 6-1, 7-5, Davao’s John David Velez completed his domination of the 12-U play by trouncing JV Comendador, 6-1, 6-0, while Cedric Pamplona from M’lang took the 10-unisex title with a tough 3-5, 5-3, 10-5 decision over Tenielle Madis.
Guarde also atoned for her 16-U setback by winning the 14-U title with a 6-3, 7-6(5) victory over Danna Abad while Minette April Bentillo, another local rising star, overpowered Madis, 6-1, 6-1, to claim the 12-U plum.
Meanwhile, Mark Alcoseba from Davao took the Open singles crown in the veterans division then teamed up with Joset Judabal to cop the Open doubles crown. Other winners in the side event were Kidapawan City’s Eddie Niegas and Nanding Bolasa (junior veterans doubles), Tam Calingasan and Abdulah Adin from Cotabato City (pre-veterans doubles), Polet Casal and Jun Bagaforo (seniors veterans doubles) and Philip Lim and Henry Ladot (super veterans doubles).
Meanwhile, Digos City will host the circuit’s next stop on June 2528. Listup is ongoing. For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director, at 0915-4046464.