Lagarde, Madis clinch PPS MVP plums

MANILA, Philippines - Klyde Lagarde survived Ramon Bentillo in the boys’ 16-and-under finals to complete a two-title romp in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Digos regional age group tennis tournament in Davao del Sur last Monday.

Tennielle Madis dominated the girls’ side and came away with her own version of a twinkill as they grabbed the MVP crowns in their respective sides in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Slazenger.

Lagarde, one of the 10 recipients of a three-month scholarship program at the Macs Crankit Tennis Academy in Australia, fought back from a shutout loss in the opening set and foiled Bentillo in a grueling three-setter, 0-6, 6-4, 12-10, although the Gen. Santos City ace cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 win over the same rival to pocket the 18-U crown.

Madis swept Prince Caorte, 4-0, 4-0, to run away with the 10-unisex plum then the Mlang find crushed Juliana Carvajal, 6-2, 6-1, to nail the girls’ 12-U diadem in the five-day event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg.

Other winners were local bet Andrei Padao (boys’ 12-U), Koronadal’s Angil Balaoing (boys’ 14-U), Sultan Kudarat’s and Aussie-bound Minette Bentillo (girls’ 14-U), Mlang’s Jazzelle Madis (girls’ 16-U), and Davao’s Danna Abad (girls’ 18-U).