Young guns join Olivarez Open title hunt

MANILA, Philippines - Francis Casey Alcantara, Marc Reyes and Pablo Olivarez, three of the country’s leading junior players, have confirmed participation in the second Olivarez-Philta Open Tennis Championships presented by Palawan Pawnshop Express Pera Padala, ensuring a power-packed cast when the event is fired off Aug. 10 at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat.

Alcantara, 20, who reached the world junior ranking at No. 14 in 2009 after winning the junior Australian Open doubles title, will be as much tested as with Reyes and Olivarez as they slug it out with the likes of veteran campaigners Patrick John Tierro, Rolando Ruel Jr., Vicente Elbert Anasta and defending champion Johnny Arcilla in the two-week long tournament.

US-based Maika Jane Tanpoco has also signed up in the event, guaranteeing an equally explosive battle in the distaff side that features Clarice Patrimonio, Marian Jade Capadocia, Tamitha Olivarez-Nguyen and Marinel Rudas.

Organizers of the P300,000 tournament, sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop Express Pera Padala, through Philta regional vice-president and Palawan Pawshop COO Bobby Castro, are expecting more than a thousand participants from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, including those from the college and club ranks to play in the event, which also stakes ranking points.

Events on tap are the men’s and ladies singles and doubles (Grade-A), the boys and girls singles and doubles (Group-I), the interclub (combined men’s and ladies) team play and the inter-collegiate (men’s and ladies) team championship.

Leading the cast in the boys’ category of the event, sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association, headed by Rep. Edwin Olivarez and backed by Dunlop Sports and Olivarez Sports Center, are Eric Jed Olivarez, Albert Lim Jr., Arthur Pantino, Jerome Romualdez, Michael Francis Eala and Jacob Martin.