CHAD Cuizon kept his hot streak going, nailing another 10-and-under crown while Ashley McKenzie of Australia made the most of her vacation and came away with a two-title romp in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Mactan leg regional age group tennis tournament in Cebu yesterday.
The 10-year-old Cuizon trounced doubles partner Douglas Maravillas, 4-1, 4-1, to sweep the first two legs of the Visayas summer tour after the Centrex, Lapu-Lapu rising star clipped Jovani Dimate, 4-1, 4-0, in the Consolacion stop of the circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Slazenger last week.
McKenzie, whose mother is a Cebuana, bounced back from a failed title crack last week by stunning top seed Lyra Repollo, 6-4, 6-1, in the semis then whipping Nicole Villar, 6-0, 6-1, to snare the girls’ 16-U diadem in the Group 2 tournament backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg.
The Queenslander earlier grabbed the 14-U plum with a 6-4, 6-2 reversal over Repollo then teamed up with her victim to crush Kiersten Albofera and Villar, 8-1, for the 14-U doubles crown.
Cuizon and Maravillas also ran away with the 10-U doubles title with a similar 8-1 triumph over Axel McKenzie and Scofeld Tabura as Cuizon bagged another MVP plum and Ashley McKenzie snared the coveted individual honor in the distaff side.
In other results, Balamban, Cebu’s JP Silmaro took the boys’ 12-U title with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Cuizon while Sofia Melencion from Consolacion scored a 1-0(ret.) win over Khymberly McKenzie for the girls’ 12-U diadem.
Unranked Gabriel Trazo from Asturias, Cebu shocked top seed Cesar Salimbangon, 6-1, 6-4, to snatch the boys’ 14-U crown while Bohol’s Jericho Otico subdued Neil Limpangog, 7-6(2), 6-2, for the boys’ 16-U title.
Vhon Tudtud from Naga City, Cebu and Kristin Salimbangon of Consolacion shared the 18-U honors with the former foiling Jude Balundo, 6-4, 6-4, and the latter edging Repollo, 5-7, 6-1, 10-7.
Repollo atoned for her setbacks as she teamed up with Nicole Dela Rita to beat sisters Camile and Nicole Villar, 8-4, for the 18-U doubles crown; Zudie Balundo and Tudtud took the boys’ 18-U title with an 8-2 rout of Carlo Balundo and Francis Rosales; while Myke Lungay and Otico repulsed top seed Eric Longakit and Kenneth Tenepre, 8-6, to snare the 14-U doubles plum.
Meanwhile, Tacloban hosts the next Visayas stop on April 28-May 2 while Tagum will stage the next Mindanao leg after the ongoing Koronadal tournament on April 30-May 4.
For details, call PPS-PEPP Regional Age Group Tennis Event organizer and Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
