Sydney Enriquez and Eric Tangub lived up to the hype as they nailed two titles each to clinch the MVP honors and lead the Zamboangeños romp in the PPS-PEPP President R. Barrios Cup national age group tennis circuit at the Kidapawan City Tennis Club in Cotabato yesterday.
Enriquez, from Salug, Zambo del Norte, proved overpowering in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under divisions, posting a pair of 6-0, 6-0 victories over May Torrecareon and doubles partner Zkyla Cervantes, respectively, while Tangub, from Tukuran, Zambo del Sur, thumped Reyman Saldivar Jr., 6-1, 6-2, and Brent Magno, 6-0, 6-2, to claim the boys’ 16- and 18-U titles in the Group 2 event presented by Dunlop.
Other winners in the fourth of the six-leg Mindanao swing of the nationwide circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro were Kabacan, Cotabato’s Jairo Ramirez (10-unisex), Josh Cabanting (boys’ 12-U), Ysay Ysulat (girls’ 14-U) and Saldivar (boys’ 14-U) and Sindangan, Zamboanga’s Rose Mesiona (girls’ 12-U).
The second seeded Ramirez foiled No. 1 Yusuf Maldo, 2-4, 4-2, 4-1; Cabanting upset top seed Ben Flores, 4-2, 4-2, in the quarters then outlasted Ramirez, 6-4, 4-6, 10-8, in the finals; Ysulat ripped Zheta Saldivar, 6-1, 6-2; Saldivar crushed Yassan Al Anazi, 6-1, 6-3; and Mesiona beat Jeanne Rayray, 6-1, 6-2.
Enriquez actually made it three-for-three as she and Cervantes routed Puline Binoya and Joanne Gornes, 8-0, to claim the doubles 18-U plum with Eric Comendador and Magno edging Tangub and JV Comendador, 8-6, in the boys’ final.
Ysulat and Khirylle Saldivar took the girls’ doubles 14-U title with an 8-1 romp over Maia Aton and Alyssa Ramirez while Josh Cabanting and Reyman Saldivar Jr. nipped Al Anazi and Justine Niegas, 8-7(3) in the boys’ championship. Joanel Maldo and Jairo Ramirez pocketed the 10-U doubles diadem with an 8-0 rout of Inigo Barrios and Mesiona.
Meanwhile, action in the circuit, sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, shifts to Digos City for the fifth leg on Feb. 28-March 4 with Tagum City hosting the last stop on March 7-11. For details and listup, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
