MANILA, Philippines — Francesca Cruz lived up to her top billing in the girls’ 16-and-under division then stunned the 18-U field as an unranked player to capture the MVP plum in the PPS-PEPP Manila Southwoods regional age-group tennis tournament at the Southwoods Tennis Courts in Carmona, Cavite recently.
Cruz, 16, dropped just seven games in three matches, including a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Melody Dizon in the girls’ singles finals, to dominate her age bracket, then the rising star from Pasig City surprised top seed Aubrey Calma, 6-4, 2-6, 10-3, in the 18-U semis and fended off Alaine Obra, 6-4, 6-2, to complete a “twinkill” in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Dunlop.
Elvin Geluz, meanwhile, toppled second seed Exequiel Jucutan, 6-1, 5-7, 10-5, to snare the boys’ 16-U diadem but the Dasmariñas, Cavite bet retired against Marcus Del Rosario (4-6) in the 18-U finals and missed matching Cruz’s double-title feat in the event backed by Asiatraders Corp.
No. 4 Dizon from Sta. Rosa, Laguna shocked top seed Elise Cruz, 6-1, 6-1, in the semis then routed Shaira Silva, 6-2, 6-0, to run away with the girls’ 14-U title while Jucutan, from Manaoag, Pangasinan, made up for his earlier loss with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over JT Bernardo in the boys’ side.
Bacoor, Cavite’s Alecsa Ilano downed Maxine Favis, 6-3, 6-3, to pocket the girls’ 12-U plum while Andre Colladilla, also an unranked player from Magdalena, Laguna, took the boys’ title with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over No. 3 Sam Salazar.