Flores, Zapanta shine in Palawan Dumalag netfest

MANILA, Philippines - Luke Alquin Flores and Mary Grace Zapanta flashed top form and came away with twin victories, including the premier boys’ and girls’ crowns, in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age-group 2014 presented by Technifibre in Dumalag, Capiz last Monday.

The top-seeded Flores, from Central Phl University in Iloilo, never dropped a set on his way to beating Mart Fullo, 4-1, 4-1, for the 18-and-under crown and giant-killer Albino Morales, 4-1, 4-2, for the 16-U diadem in the week-long event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Technifibre, also the official ball.

The unseeded Zapanta, on the other hand, stunned No. 2 Angeline Suarnaba, 4-2, 4-0, in the second round and went on to capture the girls’ 18-U plum with a 4-1, 4-0 rout of No. 5 Razel Mae Abejo. The Iloilo champion then surprised top seed Tracy Llamas in a thrilling finale, hacking out a 3-4(7), 5-4(1), 10-2 win to snatch the 16-U crown in the tournament sanctioned by Philta headed by president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

“We want to thank Palawan Pawnshop for bringing this tournament here in Dumalag which produced a former Davis Cupper in Ramon Funtera,” said Mayor Amado Eriberto Castro Jr. “This event is indeed a big boost to local tennis here.”

The hosts tapped the Dumalag, Dao, Tesda and Duran tennis courts to accommodate the big number of entries in the event, the municipality’s biggest tennis tournament in a long while.

Angelo Mejia from Roxas City also pulled off a golden double, winning the 10 unisex title with a 4-2, 4-1 romp over Joshua Raymundo and the boys’ 12-U crown with 4-1, 4-0 victory over top seed Rewel Justianiani, while Calinog, Capiz bet Edmarl Casiple upended No. 1 Matthew Flores, 4-2, 4-2, in the semis then toppled Eldezar Alvarico, 4-0, 4-1, to capture the boys’ 14-U plum.