SURIGAO City native Vaughn Spencer Codilla emerged as the big winner at the recent Cabadbaran City leg in Agusan del Norte of the ongoing nation-wide Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series, now on its 11th year as he won two singles titles and a doubles’ crown in the weekend tournament that attracted over 100 entries.
Codilla bagged both the boys’ 16-under and 18-under titles with straight-set victories over separate opponents, then added the 18-under doubles’ crown after he teamed up with boys’ 14-under champion Rupert Ohrelle Tortal, also from Surigao City.
Codilla swept aside Emmanuel Pedrosa from the host province, 6-3, 6-2, for the 16-under title and posted a 6-2, 7-5 win over another local bet Prince Bo Lastimosa in the 18-under finals. Together with Tortal, they beat Kenichiro Suzuki and Mark Ivan Malinis, 8-5, for the doubles’ title in the 18-under.
Double winners in the tournament supported by Dunlop as the official ball, were girls’ 16-under champion Winona Cabardo from Davao City, girls’ 14-under titlist and local bet Yra Monteclaro and Tortal, as the three also shared their respective doubles’ crowns.
Cabardo had an easy time against CDO’s Nanami Suzuki in the 16-under finals, winning 6-1, 6-0, then posted an 8-2 win with partner Abbygale Singcol over Mary Aubrey Calma and Suzuki for the girls’ 18-under doubles’ crown.
Monteclaro, meanwhile, brushed aside Angela Buyante from Bukidnon, 6-4, 6-1 in the girls’ 14-under finals, then teamed up with her opponent to capture the girls’ 14-under doubles’ title with an 8-3 victory over Mary Arabella Alejandro and Angel BebDelegencia.
Tortal took out Davao City’s John Roddick Litang in two sets, 6-1, 6-3 for the boys’ 14-under crown, while sharing the boys’ 18-under with Codilla.
“Again we are happy that we are seeing some new faces as winners even as familiar names continue to hone their games in this age-group series,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier and the one who initiated the grassroots tennis program 11 years ago.
Other individual winners in the leg were Mary Aubrey Calma from CDO after she ruled the girls’ 18-under with straight set win, 6-2,6-0 , over Singcol and another CDO bet Vasey Padilla who emerged champion in the girls’ 12-under after beating Buyante 6-2,6-0 in the finals.
