Suarez, Pages annex net titles

MANILA, Philippines - Stefan Suarez of NCR and local bet Jana Pages came away with a pair of straight-set victories to cop two titles while Shyne Villareal shone in the girls’ 14-and-under division in the Philta-Palawan Pawnshop Regional Age-Group Championships presented by Babolat at the Cebu International Tennis Center in Consolacion last Sunday.

Suarez survived Jessie Daniel Villarin’s gutsy stand in the second set to complete a 4-2, 5-4(1) win in the boys’ 18-U finals and overwhelmed Jan Godfrey Seno, 4-1, 4-1, to cop the 16-U diadem.

It was Suarez’s second twin romp after the son of former Davis Cupper Raymund pocketed the 16- and 18-U crowns in the first of two Bacolod legs of the circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop through chief operating officer Bobby Castro and Technosports president Guillermo Nocom last month.

Pages, on the other hand, outplayed Claire Lazaga, 4-0, 4-2, to claim the 18-U title and held off Villareal, 5-3, 4-1, for the 16-U crown. She missed scoring a three-peat after retiring against Mae Zethley Alferes in the second round in the 14-U class.

But Villareal, who whisked off Beverly Enriquez, 4-2, 4-1, in the semis, frustrated Alferes, 4-2, 1-4, 10-6, to snatch the crown in the first of two legs Cebu is hosting in its effort to help develop and promote the sport.

“We are really grateful to Palawan Pawnshop and Babolat for backing our year-long program of providing competitive tournaments for our young players,” said Philta regional vice president Jess Lagman.

Alferes, meanwhile, took the 12-U title with a shock 4-0, 4-1 win over top seed Kristin Salimbangon, while Seno captured the boys’ 14-U crown with a 4-0, 4-0 rout of top seed Fernando Arguelles.

Gener Lambayan also dominated the boys’ 12-U side with a 4-0, 4-2 triumph over Karl Baran while Cesar Salimbangon took the 10-unisex diadem with a 4-1, 4-0 romp over Danielle Rumbines.