Bentillo, Velez share PPS Digos honors

MANILA, Philippines - Minette April Bentillo churned out a two-title romp while John David Velez kept his run of impressive finishes in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis tournament at the Digos Tennis Club in Davao del Sur yesterday.

Bentillo dominated fellow rising star Tenielle Madis, 6-1, 6-1, to nail the girls’ 12-and-under crown then the Sultan Kudarat find moved one notch higher and thwarted Ma. Angelica Novis, 7-5, 6-1, to emerge the lone “double” winner in the Digos stop of the country’s longest-running circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.

Velez, coming off a series of victories, including in the recent Pikit leg where he took the boys’ 14- and 16-U titles, held off Earljan Casal, 6-4, 6-2, to nail the 14-U plum although the young Davaoeño ace failed to duplicate his recent feat as he dropped a 6-1, 6-3 loss to top seed Klyde Lagarde of Gen. Santos City in the 16-U finals.

“These young bunch keep on improving, contending and even winning in higher divisions. This is what the circuit is all about, providing these kids the needed exposure and motivation to get better and better,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Meanwhile, action shifts to Davao del Norte starting Thursday (Oct. 6) with Tagum City hosting the next leg. For details, contact Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP Regional Age Group Tennis Event organizer and Sports Program Development director at 0915-4046464.