Martirez, Bona shine in PPS Contreras tilt

MANILA, Philippines — Althea Martirez dished out top form to emerge the lone “double” winner while John Kendrick Bona posted a win and a runner-up finish as they shared MVP honors in the PPS-PEPP Gov. E. Contreras national age-group tennis tournament at the Villareal Stadium Tennis Courts in Roxas City last Monday.

Martirez kept her win run going following a romp in the recent Gov. Umali Cup in Oriental Mindoro, overwhelming Avril Suace twice, 6-2, 6-1, and 6-2, 6-0, as the Central Phl U ace swept the girls’ singles 16- and 18-and-under crowns, respectively.

Bona also dominated top seed Derrick Guillano, 6-1, 6-1, to claim the boys’ 12-U title but the Puerto Princesa bet and a Mac’s Crankit-MCF Global protégé came up short against No. 1 Benedict Santiago, who pulled off a 6-4, 6-3 escape in the 14-U finals of the Group I tournament presented by Dunlop.

Sharing the spotlight in the week-long event sponsored by Gov. Esteban Contreras and held as part of the country’s long-running age grouper put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala, headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro, were Iloilo’s Francis de Juan, Joshua Raymundo from La Carlota, Bacolod, Nickel Nowlakha and Aleeva Suace, both from CPU, and Petrina Aguirre from the Phl Science High School – Western Visayas.

De Juan repulsed Queeny Villa, 5-3, 4-2, for the 10-unisex title; Raymundo overpowered Roger Lamparero, 6-3, 6-1, for the boys’ 16-U plum; Nowlakha scored a 6-3, 2-0(ret.) win over Lamparero; Aleeva Suace turned back Villa, 6-3, 7-5, for the girls’ 12-U trophy; and Aguirre held off Alexandra Onte, 7-5, 6-1, to bag the girls’ 14-U crown.

But the Suace siblings foiled Martirez and Aguirre, 8-5, to clinch the 18-U doubles plum. Other winners were Lester Astromenada and Joshua Raymundo (boys’ 18-U), Aguirre and Onte (girls’ 14-U), Derrick Guillano-Astromeda (boys’ 14-U) and Rafael Santiago-Villa (10-unisex) while ruling the Legends division were Rodel Borres and Rainjo Castro (40s); Borres and Jonelle Llavore (50s) and Simon Nicor and Fulgencio Legaspi (60s).

Next up in the circuit, sanctioned by Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, is the PPS Iloilo leg on Nov. 15-19 at the LaPaz tennis courts which will feature another Group I juniors tournament plus the Legends 40s, 50s and 60s categories.