Arguelles, Desoyo bag Palawan net crowns

MANILA, Philippines - Jose Fernando Arguelles and Valerie Desoyo lived through a pair of three-setters to rule their respective divisions while four others made it two-in-row in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis circuit presented by Tecnifibre at Center Court Tennis Club in Bacolod last Monday.

The top-seeded Arguelles, playing out of PTA-Bacolod, recovered from a second set meltdown and got back at first leg tormentor Luke Flores, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6, to cop the boys’ 16-and-under crown while No. 2 Desoyo from RSB La Carlota repeated over top ranked Averille Sacapano, 4-6, 6-4, 10-4, in the girls’ 14-and-U finals.

Toni Rose Raymundo of PTA La Carlota also upended Sacapano, 6-3, 6-1, to top the 16-and-U class for the second straight time, so did Karl Baran and siblings Ceasar Po and Alekzander Po in the boys’ 14-, 12- and 10-unisex divisions, respectively, of the Group 3 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and Technifibre and sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association.

Baran, also from PTA La Carlota, dominated unranked Eidyzar Alvarico, 6-2, 6-3; Ceasar Po stopped upset-conscious Jeff Senio, 6-3, 6-1; and Alekzander Po turned back Pete Rodriguez, 5-7, 6-3, 10-6, in the four-day event capping a two-week swing in Negros Occidental and Bacolod.

“We’d like to thank Palawan Pawnshop for staging this tournament in Bacolod and Negros Occidental. This is indeed a good project for our tennis grassroots program,” said Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella. “We’d also like to invite all tennis players to join the Masskara tennis festival, also sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop, on Oct. 11-18.”

No. 4 Carl Cathedral of San Carlos and second seed Keanu Flores of RSB La Carlota topped the premier 18-and-U class with the former beating third seed Ryle Singson, 6-1, 6-2, and the latter stunning the top-seeded Raymundo, 1-6, 6-3, 10-2.

PTA La Carlota’s Kiana de Asis also edged Sacapano, 6-3, 4-6, 10-7, to snatch the girls’ 12-and-U diadem.

“The number of three-setters underscores the level playing field among our young players,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro. “The program is part of our long-term commitment to promote sports as one of the primary focus of our corporate social responsibility and at the same time provide our youth the venue where they could hone their talent and skills.”

Meanwhile, action resumes Feb. 14-17 for the third leg in Los Baños, Laguna. Registration is free. For details, call tournament director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.