McKenzie cops 3 PPS Argao titles

MANILA, Philippines — Ashley McKenzie dished out top form and upstaged No. 1 Lyrah Repollo twice to claim the girls’ 14- and 16-and-under crowns in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Argao leg regional age-group tennis tournament at the Argao courts in Cebu last Monday.

The fourth-ranked McKenzie, born to a Cebuana mother and Australian father, leaned on her baseline game to stun Repollo, 6-4, 6-2, in the 14-U finals then as No. 3, she upended second seed Bless Coderos, 6-3, 6-3, in the semis then repeated over Repollo, 7-6(2), 3-2(ret.) to pocket the 16-U diadem in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.

She later teamed up with sister Kimberly to nip Dec Montanez and Grace Lanete, 8-6, and seal the 14-U doubles crown, emerging the lone three-title winner in the five-day event presented by Slazenger and backed by the Unified Tennis Philippines, including PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.

Unranked Raymund Goco meanwhile, ripped second seed Gerald Gemida, 6-2, 6-0, to snare the boys’ 12-U plum then the Bogo, Cebu bet partnered with Mitch Laygo to rout Hans Cabellon and Clarence Tabura, 8-2, to win the 14-U doubles title and share the MVP honors with Ashley McKenzie.