Agustines, Labrador bag PPS MVP honors

Top seed Nash Agustines scored a repeat in his division while unranked Rica Labrador stunned the girls’ 16-and-under field as they shared the MVP honors in the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala Dipolog leg age-group tennis circuit at the RGS Tennis Club last Monday.

Agustines flaunted the form that netted him the boys’ 14-U crown at home last week as the rising Oroquieta City star held off No. 2 Ashton Villanueva, 6-4, 6-4, in the finals. He, however, bowed to No. 1 Nilo Ledama from Pagadian, 4-6, 4-6, in the 16-U championship of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.

Labrador upended No. 3 Kristine Bandolis, 6-1, 6-3, in the semis then the Sindangan, Zambo del Norte bet trounced fourth-ranked Jedidiah Gupit, 6-1, 6-2, to claim the 16-U plum. But she lost to Audrey Quimbo of Misamis Occidental, 4-6, 4-6, in the 18-U finals of the event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and Dunlop as the official ball.

In other results, top seed Jose Maria Pague from Zambo Sibugay foiled Ledama, 6-2, 6-2, (18-U); unseeded Neo Elijah Maratas snared the boys’ 12-U diadem with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 victory over No. 2 Mari Erquita; Bandolis from Tubod, Lanao, took the girls’ 14-U plum with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Gupit; unranked Christine Gula-Gula from Dapitan downed May Laputan, 6-3, 6-2, for the girls’ 12-U title; and local bet third seed Mark Barrios ruled the 10-unisex division with a 4-0, 4-1 romp over May Gonzales.

“With no player scoring a twinkill only underscores the level playing field, not just in this particular leg but in majority of our events spread nationwide with new faces and talents continuing to emerge,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro.

The circuit is sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg event organizer Bobby Mangunay sees an increase in the next two legs in Tagum March 8-12 and Davao March 15-19. Listup is ongoing.Details: 0915-4046464.