Padilla scores PPS Oroquieta net twinkill

MANILA, Philippines - Cassey Padilla pulled off a pair of reversals to snare the girls’ 12- and 14-and-under titles in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Oroquieta leg regional tennis tournament at the Oroquieta Lawn Tennis Association and DPWH Tennis Club in Misamis Occidental yesterday.

Padilla leaned on her baseline game to upend top seed Kristine Bandolis, 6-3, 6-4, in the 12-U finals then the rising Cagayan de Oro star stopped Ella Ramirez, 6-3, 6-0, to claim the 14-U diadem and emerge the lone double winner in the Group 1 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.

Second seed Steven Sonsona also repulsed No. 1 and doubles partner Stephen Guia, 7-5, 6-3, to annex the boys’ 16-U title but the Tubod, Lanao ace failed to match Padilla’s feat as he bowed to No. 4 Nilo Ledama of Pagadian City, 3-6, 6-2, 4-10, in the 18-U finals of the event which also staked ranking points for free training abroad under the Unified Tennis Program.

Sonsona and Guia later teamed up to beat Bruce Hurtado and Ledama, 8-4, and win the 18-U doubles plum in the tournament backed by the UTP, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.

Sonsona and Padilla later shared the MVP honors.