La Carlota bets seek PPS Dumaguete sweep

MANILA, Philippines - Karl Baran and Tracy Llamas hope to live up to their top billing as they shoot for a two-title sweep in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age-group tennis tournament which shifts to Dumaguete starting tomorrow (Wednesday, May 11).

Close to 300 players from the Visayas region are vying in the 20th leg of the country’s biggest and premier age-group circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger with La Carlota bets Baran and Llamas gaining the top two seeds in both the 16- and 18-and-under divisions of their respective categories.

But the fancied players will be up against a crack field and if the chart runs to form, Baran could face fellow La Carlota bet and No. 2 Eldyzar Albarico in the finals of both categories. Llamas, on the other hand, is tipped to run to a slew of talented rivals, including Avril Suace, Boracay’s Averille Sacapano and Precious Coderos in the premier section of the tournament backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusive distributor of Slazenger, and sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

“This guarantees another slambang action with top players from Cebu, Bacolod, Kalibo, Boracay, Roxas City, Iloilo and Siquijor going all out to foil the La Carlota aces,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro, adding that they have tapped two venues at the Praxevilla and Silliman tennis clubs to accommodate the big number of entries in the Group 2 tournament.

For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP regional age group tennis event organizer and Sports Program Development director at 0915-4046464.

Other La Carlota bets tipped to contend for the crown are brothers Rewel and Khenz Justiniani and Alexa Milliam, Bacolod’s Pete Rodriguez, Fernando Po and Fern Po, Al Francis Andrade and Lorenzo Legaspi from New Washington, Kalibo, sisters Averille and Abigail Sacapano from Boracay and Roxas City’s Drixcyn and Derrick Guillano and Claire Clavaton.

Nikhel Nowlakha and Averille Suace banner Iloilo City’s bid while Ellaine Bahonsua and Chad Cuizon anchor Siquijor and Cebu’s campaign, respectively, in the five-day event.