MANILA, Philippines — Foiled at home last week, April Minette Bentillo tries to do it on the road as she guns for three division titles in the PPS-PEPP Gen. Santos regional age-group tennis tournament, which got going yesterday at the Gen. Santos City Tennis Courts.
The 14-year-old Bentillo hopes to live up to her top billing in all three categories, including her age bracket and make up for her setbacks in the 16- and 18-and-under finals in last week’s Sultan Kudarat stop of the circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
But a slew of players will be out to foil her bid, including Jillian Manangking and Angela Ripdos in 14-U, and Ma. Angelica Novis, Kyle Rivera and local bet Febe Lagarde in both the 16- and 18-U titles of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.
Bruce Hurtado and Alfred Directo, meanwhile, are tipped to slug it out in the boys’ premier 18-U category with Karl Palo, Jay Balaoing, Jude Padao and Directo headlining the 16-U cast in the four-day event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.