Seno wins three crowns to dominate Palawan Dipolog juniors netfest
MANILA, Philippines — Bogo City standout Etha Nadine Seno stamped her class on the Palawan Pawnshop Dipolog Juniors Age Group Championships, sweeping both girls’ singles crowns and adding a doubles title in a dominant campaign at the RGS and Mibang courts in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, last Sunday.
The 14-year-old lived up to her top billing in both singles divisions, displaying remarkable consistency and all-around court savvy to rule the girls’ 14-and-Under and 16-and-U classes before capping her three-title romp with the 18-and-U doubles crown.
Seno dropped just four games in three matches en route to the 14-and-U finals, where she weathered a late challenge from Aizelle Libonfacil to prevail, 6-0, 7-5, and secure the first of her two singles titles.
She was even more dominant in the 16-and-U division, sweeping her first three matches without dropping a game before overwhelming Angelica Acido, 6-0, 6-1, in the final to emerge as the tournament’s lone double-gold winner.
Far from done, Seno teamed up with Gabrielle Bulado to beat Joy Busig and Princess Pampula, 8-5, and complete her three-title sweep in the weeklong Group 2 tournament.
The event launched a two-leg Mindanao swing of the Palawan Pawnshop tennis talent-search program, spearheaded by president and CEO Bobby Castro and sanctioned by Philta and Universal Tennis, with support from Dunlop, ICON Golf & Sports and the Palawan Group of Companies.
In the boys’ division, Muhammad Keyan Sarip of Marawi City shared MVP honors with Seno after capturing the 16-and-U singles title and finishing runner-up in the 18-and-U class.
Sarip trounced Kim Tatad III, 6-0, 6-2, to rule the 16-and-U division but fell short of completing his own singles double, bowing to unranked Sky Bacongga, 6-4, 6-4, in a major upset in the 18-and-U final.
Bacongga’s breakthrough victory underscored the competitive depth of the long-running circuit, which seeks to discover and develop young tennis talent, particularly in the countryside.
Prince Centino defeated Sherwin Gom-Os, 6-3, 6-4, to capture the boys’ 14-and-U crown, while Zachary Bariquit outlasted Francis Dadan, 7-5, 6-4, in a hard-fought duel for the boys’ 12-and-U title.
Libonfacil bounced back from her loss to Seno by beating Kylle Caguindangan, 6-3, 6-4, for the girls’ 12-and-U crown, while Marlyn Mesiona pulled off another upset, rallying past top seed Busig, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, to claim the girls’ 18-and-U title.
Bacongga and Hazer Malicay teamed up to defeat Dandreb Simon and Tatad, 8-4, for the boys’ 18-and-U doubles crown. Ma. Juleah Caña and Libonfacil likewise prevailed, beating Bless Labadisos and Frances Rigodon by the same score to win the girls’ 14-and-U doubles title.
Bariquit and Centino completed the boys’ 14-and-U doubles sweep with an emphatic 8-0 rout of Vincent Balucos and Dadan.
The circuit moves to Pagadian City next week. For details and registration, contact tournament director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464. (Pool story)
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