Fortheo Cup national tennis finale sets spotlight on girl netters

MANILA, Philippines — It’s the girls’ turn to shine as the Fortheo Cup National Junior Tennis Championships caps its two-week run in Biñan City, Laguna, with top junior talents and rising stars battling it out at the South City Homes Recreation Center starting Thursday, June 26.

Fierce competition is expected in the premier 18-and-under division, bannered by Sandra Bautista, Joy Ansay, Jan Cadee Dagoon, Dania Bulanadi, Czarina Ilano, Justine Casiller, Frances Ilagan and Elyce Yuipco, all raring to stake their claim in the singles play of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Fortheo Power Station.

For the first time, all four girls’ categories drew full 32-player fields –a strong testament to the growing support for the country’s longest-running grassroots talent search, spearheaded by the Palawan Pawnshop program under president/CEO Bobby Castro.

The Biñan leg, supported by Threema, Ckap Roofing, Tier One Architects, Scrambowl and Altiche Tennis School, wraps up an action-packed twin-week stretch, following the boys' competitions last week and the Fortheo Cup leg in Valenzuela City last month.

The overwhelming number of entries prompted organizers to separate the boys’ and girls’ tournaments – an updated format now adopted to better accommodate players across multiple age divisions.

Doubles titles will also be contested in the 10-and-U, 14-and-U, and 18-and-U categories for both boys and girls. For details, contact tournament director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

In singles, Dagoon, Bulanadi, and Casiller are also seeing action in the 16-and-U bracket, joined by Ays Gonzaga, Isabel Ataiza, Jasmine Sardona, Vania Parawa and Andrea Pamandanan.

Gonzaga, looking to sustain a hot streak, headlines the 14-and-U category alongside Shaner Gabaldon, Ataiza, Parawan, Athena Liwag, Isabel Calingasan, Jasmine Solis and Amanda Barrido.

Meanwhile, a wide-open battle is expected in the 12-and-U division featuring Liwag, Barrido, and Calingasan, along with Kyla Caguioa, Anica Palacio, Elise Co, Andrea Plaza and Rebecca Primavera.

The 10-and-U unisex division also promises exciting play, with Scarlet Solis and Terrence Bataliones leading a stacked field in the week-long tournament sanctioned by Philta and supported by Universal Tennis and ICON Golf & Sports.