Madis, Velez dominate PPS tennis

MANILA, Philippines - Tenielle Madis and John David Velez kicked off their Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis campaign in emphatic fashions, coming away with a pair of victories each in the Dangcagan leg in Bukidnon yesterday.

Madis, one of the rising stars from M’lang, Cotabato, dropped just one game in three matches to run away with the 10-unisex crown, capping her romp with a 4-0, 4-1 victory over Novie Malinis. She later took the girls’ 12-U title with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Angela Buyante.

Velez, a prized find from Davao, matched that big start in the 58-stage circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger with victories in the boys’ side, beating Peterson Linsagan, 6-2, 6-0, for the 14-U plum then routing Vince Dandasan, 6-1, 6-2, in the 16-U finals of the Group 4 tournament held at the Dangcagan, Kitatao and Kibawe courts.

“These two talented kids could become the country’s next stars and this circuit will provide them the support, motivation and exposure they need to live up to their promise,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/COO Bobby Castro.

Their siblings also shared the spotlight with Jazzelle Madis ruling the girls’ 16-U division with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ma. Angelica Novis and Patricia Velez scoring a 6-1(ret.) win over Novis in the 18-U finals of the event backed by new sponsor Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by Philta.

Novis, from Malita, Davao Occidental, earlier copped the 14-U diadem with a 6-3, 6-0 romp over Buyante while Andre Kenny Sing, also from Davao City, pocketed the boys’ 12-U title with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Cedric Pamplona, and Maramag, Bukidnon’s Mark Ivan Malinis claimed the boys’ 18-U plum with a 6-1, 6-1 rout of Cyrill Robeniol.