PPS tennis levels up, holds national collegiate tilt

MANILA, Philippines – Palawan Pawnshop goes a notch higher in its continuing commitment to boost local tennis, holding the PalawanPay National Collegiate Championships beginning Thursday at the Philippine Columbian Association outdoor courts at Plaza Dilao in Manila.

The field features player-students gearing up for the UAAP and NCAA wars with the men’s and women’s singles and doubles titles and men’s and women’s team championships up for grabs in the week-long tournament presented by Dunlop.

“This tournament will help raise the level of play in the collegiate ranks, instill discipline among the players and at the same time elevate qualities like determination and teamwork,” said Bobby Castro, president/CEO of Palawan Pawnshop, which is also at the forefront of junior tennis development with its annual, country-wide circuit.

In fact, the PalawanPay Juniors Group 1 tournament will be held right after the collegiate tilt from November 17-22, also at the PCA courts, home of the annual PCA Open.

UE’s Jarell Edangga and Stephen Guia, UST’s Nilo Ledama and Eric Tangub, UP’s Loucas Fernandez, Ateneo’s Gabriel Gurria, and National U’s Jude Ceniza and Ibarra Ortega banner the tough 64-player men’s singles draw in the event backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).

Headlining the women’s singles roster are NU’s Danna Abad, Ateneo’s Althea Ong, Tracy Llamas and Gabby Sandejas, UP’s Dominique Malazarte and Sydney Enriquez, La Salle’s Beatrice Gomez and Mikaela Vicencio.

Meanwhile, the PPS-PEPP circuit heads to Cainta, Rizal on Nov. 24 for the Brookside Open featuring the juniors (boys and girls) and the men’s Open with Pampanga hosting the next stop from December 6-12 for the Zentro Open in Apalit.

Action shifts to the City of Naga, Cebu from December 15-22 for the Dagitab Open.

For details, contact Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

The top seeded Edangga and No. 2 Guia kick off their respective bids against Adamson’s Vergel Chua and Jeffrey Burgos, respectively, Thursday, while Abad and Ong face Ateneo’s Francesca Ong and UP’s Katherine Mercado in Friday’s start of women’s singles action.