Balce cops 2 crowns in Cebu Babolat tennis

MANILA, Philippines - Rising tennis star Maia Balce captured two singles titles recently in the 2012 Babolat Junior Tennis Circuit Cebu leg Group 2 competition after beating two separate opponents at the Mactan Islands tennis court in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu.

Balce, 14, crushed Alyssa Mae Bornia of Tuburan City, 6-2, 5-7, 10-2, in a grueling finals to capture the 16-and-under girls singles crown of the event organized by tournament director and Philta regional vice-president Juanito Cansino.

She routed Dawn Albert Uy of Ubay, Bohol, 6-1, 6-1, in the 18-and-under girls singles finals for her second title in the tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association and participated in by almost 200 participants nationwide.  

“I did not expect the warm reception I got from the crowd considering that I played against a local,” said Balce, a three-time world juniors campaigner and a first year high school student at Saint Paul College Pasig.

“That was an awesome experience for me.”

In the boys’ category, Eric Olivarez also copped two singles crowns - in the boys’ 18 and 16 singles events.

Olivarez beat Stefan Suarez also of Manila, 6-4, 6-4, in the boys’ 16 finals and outlasted Dave Sebastian Mosqueda in the boys’ 18 class, 6-2, 5-7, 10-8, for his second crown.

Other champions in the tournament supported by Techno-Sports and Babolat tennis were Mark Directo (10 unisex); Francis Gener Lambayan (boys’ 12); Jan Godfrey Seno (boys’ 14); Zethley Mae Alferez (girls’ 12); and Jana Pages (girls’ 14).

The next leg will be in Subic Nov. 2-5.