The Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Valle Verde Country Club National Age-Group gets going tomorrow (Friday, July 20) with over 300 players from all over mixing it up in a rare gathering of the country’s top juniors and rising stars at the VVCC indoor and outdoor tennis courts in Pasig City.
Leading campaigners from Sultan Kudarat, Davao, San Carlos City, Los Baños, Ilocos, Lucena, Quezon City, Rizal, Pangasinan, Dumaguete, Agoo, La Union, Lipa, Cavite, Malabon, Cainta and Manila gear up for six days of top notch tennis, all seeking podium finish and ranking points in the Group 1 tournament presented by Dunlop and sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop.
Bea Acena from Ilocos and Anna Laura De Myer from San Fabian, Pangasinan top-bill the girls’ 18-and-under cast that also includes Denise Bernardo from Los Baños, Danna Abad from Davao, Paula Uy from QC and Sultan Kudarat’s Carlyn Guarde.
Vince EJ Tugade, also from Sultan Kudarat, Valle Verde’s Athan Arejola, Loucas Fernandez from QC and Dumaguete’s Ibarra Ortega, on the other hand, lead the chase in the boys’ premier side of the event hosted by the Valle Verde Country Club headed by Unified Tennis Philippines OIC Richie Lozada and officers and members of VVCC.
All nine categories feature 32-players draws with the girls’ 16-U division even holding a qualifier to accommodate the big number of entries seeking spots in the event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.
“It’s inspiring to see these young, talented players going up against each other in a top-notch tournament, this being a Group I event,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro. “While the fancied bets will be out to assert their might, we also expect surprises and reversals all week.”
Next up in the country’s long-running, most comprehensive age-grouper are the PPS Manila Polo Club and the Olivarez Cup. For details, call PPS-PEPP Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
De Myer also leads the 16-U cast along with Uy, Renee Acena, Kryshana Brazal from Rizal, Gab Zoleta from Lucena and Bliss Bayking from San Carlos City with Exequiel Jucutan from Pangasinan and Marc Jarata from La Union loom as the players to beat in the boys side along with Elvin Geluz from Cavite and Laguna’s Jester Ocio.
Jucutan and Jarata are also entered in the 14-U side that also drew the likes of Thomas Bernardo from Los Baños and QC’s Jacob Fernandez while Justine Maneja, also from QC, Lucena’s Julia Ignacio and Marielle Jarata from La Union headline the girls field.
The Lim brothers – Prince and Kris – from Urdaneta lead the 10-unisex field alongside Frank Dilao and France Dilao from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, while Brent So from QC, Kean Enriquez from Imus, Marielle Jarata, Mica Emana from QC, Beatrice Panganiban from Valle Verde and Lipa, Batangas’ Ma. Sophia Romero are expected to slug it out in the boys and girls classes of the 12-U division.
