Velez targets two titles in PPS Pikit

MANILA, Philippines — John David Velez sets out for a “double” as he banners the field in the 16- and 18-and-under divisions of the Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Pikit regional tennis tournament, which got going yesterday at the Pikit Tennis Club in Cotabato.

Velez has dropped his bid in his age group at 14-U to concentrate on the two higher categories which the young Davao ace ruled in last week’s Mlang leg where he upended doubles partner and top seed Bruce Hurtado.

But Hurtado is out for a payback, along with a slew of players out to score a victory and gain ranking points in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Slazenger.

Close to 200 entries are seeing action in the five-day tournament backed by the Unified Tennis Group, composed of Cebuana Lhuillier, PPS-PEPP, Wilson, Toby’s, BMeg, Citigreen, Babolat and Tru-Flex with Jerome Lacanaria and Jared Buisan joining the title hunt in the 18-U side and Reyman Saldivar, Joaquin Palo, Herald Aton and Lacanario firming up the 16-U roster.

With Mlang bet Jazzelle Madis taking a break after claiming two crowns at home last week, a fierce battle looms in the girls’ 14- and 16-U sides with Jillian Manangking, Shelo Ripdos, Jasmin Kadalum and Thea Tobias looming as the players to beat in the 14-U section and Arnie Dias, Jeanne Gornes, Pauline Binoya and Tobias headlining the 16-U cast.

Tennielle Madis also guns for a twinkill in the 10-unisex and girls’ 12-U divisions which she topped in Mlang.