Velez, Guarde face off in Koronadal

MANILA, Philippines – Patricia Velez sets out for another two-time romp but Carlyn Guarde and a host of others go all out to stop the Davaoeña ace’s charge in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis circuit presented by Slazenger which resumes today at the Koronadal Sports Complex in South Cotabato.

Velez defeated Guarde twice to re-stamp her class in Kidapawan last month but the top Sultan Kudarat bet is all primed up for a payback, guaranteeing a spirited battle for top honors in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under sections of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop.

Also tipped to contend for the crown in the five-day tournament hosted by Gov. Daisy Avance Fuentes are Cagayan de Oro’s Gennifer Pagente, Tracy Llamas of Negros, Sidney Ezra Enriquez of Zamboanga and Minette April Bentillo, also of Sultan Kudarat.

“We invite all tennis aficionados and club members to watch South Cotabato’s top and rising players slug it out against their counterparts from other provinces and cities,” said Fuentes, who also thanked Palawan Pawnshop for its continued support to South Cotabato’s youth tennis for the fifth straight year.

Fierce duels also loom in the boys’ side of the event with local aces Janus Ringia and Nicole Gorospe going up against the likes of Vince AJ Tugade and Ramon Bentillo from Sultan Kudarat and Gen. Santos City’s Kylde Lagarde in the 16- and 18-U categories of the sixth leg of the nationwide circuit backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusively distributor of Slazenger.

John David Velez of Davao and Kidapawan siblings Eric and JV Comendador, meanwhile, banner the boys’ field that also includes Joross Mananking, Cedric Pamplona, Prince Langitao and Andre Sing (12-U) and Benjamin Ringia, Steve Aton and Kurt Haro (14-U).