The PPS-PEPP national age group tennis circuit resumes Tuesday in Dipolog City with over a hundred youngsters chasing top honors in various divisions and ranking points at the RGS tennis courts in Zamboanga del Norte.
The boys’ 16-and-under division, meanwhile, holds a one-day qualifier for four slots in the main draw, underscoring the big number of entries wishing to get a feel of tournament play and at the same gain exposure in the country’s longest-running junior circuit.
Neo Maratas and Roddick Gabuat head the 16- and 18-U cast while Judyann Padilla and AJ Acabo loom as the players to beat in the top two divisions in the girls’ side of the tournament put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala president and CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Dunlop.
Rose Mesiona and Stephanie Omos, meanwhile, lead the chase in the girls’ 14-U category while Pete Bandala and Clint Gallenero earn the top two seedings in the boys’ side of the tournament sponsored by Darel Dexter Uy.
Omos and Hannah Jumawan top-bills the 12-U category with Bandala and Sherwin Gom-os bannering the boys’ class while Jared Sy and Brielle Gamus are fancied in the 10-and-under division, which also held an elims for the last remaining slot in the main draw.
The staging of the Dipolog leg comes on the heels of the postponement of the La Carlota stage due to typhoon Agaton that hit the Visayas recently with the youngsters bracing for a busy schedule in the next five weeks of the circuit held under the auspices of the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).
The next PPS-PEPP stop will be held in Sindangan on April 21-24 then to Labason on April 25-27 and Liloy on April 28-30, all in Zambo del Norte with Lala, Lanao del Norte hosting the next leg on May 1-3 before heading to Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental on May 4-6.
For details and registration, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
