Baran, Bayking share top PPS Dumaguete honors

Top seed Karl Baran survived a semifinal scare then trampled Al Francis Andrade, 6-2, 6-4, in the finals to capture the boys’ 18-and-under crown while Bliss Bayking bagged two girls’ titles in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age-group tennis tournament Dumaguete leg at the Praxevilla and Silliman Tennis Club yesterday.

Baran went through some anxious moments against No. 5 Reyniel Marcellana in the semis but came through with big shots to eke out a 7-5, 6-4, decision and seal a title clash with the unranked Andrade, who nipped fellow giant-killer Ibarra Ortega Jr., 6-4, 1-6, 10-8, in the other semis pairing in the lower bracket.

But the top La Carlota, Negros Occidental bet flashed superb form in the finals and completed a straight-set win while settling for runner-up honors in the 16-U side after defaulting his finals match with Ortega.

Bayking, on the other hand, pulled off two tough wins to lead the winners in the girls’ category of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.

The 14- year- old rising San Carlos City star hacked out a thrilling 5-7, 6-2, 10-6 victory over Averille Sacapano to clinch the 14-U plum then scored a repeat over the Boracay ace, 7-6(1), 6-1, in the 16-U finals to emerge the lone double winner in the event backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusive distributor of Slazenger, and sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

“Watch out for these two young, tall and talented players along with a slew of others who have been benefiting from our year-long circuit in terms of training and exposure. And we hope to produce more Barans and Baykings in the future through our series of tournaments nationwide,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.