PENSHOPPE MARI ERQUITA and Eric Jay Tangub made host Molave modestly proud by winning two of the nine titles staked in the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Championship Series that attracted 157 entries in Zamboanga del Sur.
Erquita defeated Garlandson Ardiente, 7-6, 6-0, to snare the boys’ 12-under crown and Tangub shocked Dipolog City’s Stephen Zion Guia, 6-4, 6-2, to wrest the boys’ 16-under championship.
It was Ozamiz City’s Maria Judy Ann Padilla, however, who made the biggest waves by winning two titles. She beat Molave bet Nina Faye Pontines, 6-2, 6-1, to win the girls’ 12-under trophy and, in partnership with Nicole Marie Bubutan, defeated April Rose Cuizon and Shane Lyl Saluta, 8-4, to annex the girls’ 14-under doubles trophy.
“This is a good sign when we see local players in an area making good against veteran visiting players as in the case of Zamboanga del Sur players who made it to the finals in six of the nine individual championships. It shows the province alone has a lot of young players with the potential to do well in the future,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and CEO of sponsor Cebuana Lhuillier Group.
Zamboanga del Norte also made their presence felt with Afeah Rose Tabudlong beating Cuizon, 6-1, 6-2, in the girls’ 14-under final and Ardiente disposing of Mar Kyne Solis, 4-2, 4-1, in the 10-under unisex duel of the tournament backed by Dunlop.
Oroquieta City’s Nash Agustines went home with the boys’ 14-under title at the expense of Zamboanga del Sur’s RJ Krystian Cagatan, 6-3, 7-6; Pagadian City’s Nilo Ledama topped the boys’ 18-under by beating Tangub, 7-5,1-6, 10-3; and Ozamiz City’s Carmeville Gervacio ruled the girls’ 18-under with a 7-6, 6-4 triumph over teammate Janmarie Anghag.