Qualifier steals show

MANILA,Philippines — Local bet Stephen Catipon, who had to go through a qualifier to earn a berth in the main draw, swept his way to the boys’ singles 18-and-under championship and added the 16-U plum to cap his two-title run in the PPS-PEPP Mayor Jerry Trenas national age group tournament at LaPaz Tennis courts in Iloilo City last Tuesday.

Catipon, playing out of the St. Robert’s International Academy, crushed Lorenz Delfin, 4-0, 4-0, in the elims then held off Jan Jimenea, 4-1, 5-4(3) in the first round, eased out No. 4 Joshua Raymundo, 4-1, 4-1, toppled second seed Rewel Justiniani, 6-0, 6-2, before besting third seed Nikhel Nowlakha, 6-1, 6-2, in the finals of the premier class in the Group 1 tournament presented by Dunlop.

He earlier dominated the 16-U play as one of the unranked players in the 32-man draw, dropping just seven games before blasting John Santiago, 6-0, 6-2, in the finals of the event put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala and sanctioned by Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.