Cabaral, Mercado lead cast in San Jose Salt tennis tilt

MANILA, Philippines – Ariel Cabaral and Chloe Mercado are poised to showcase their talent as they lead the pack in the highly anticipated San Jose Salt National Juniors Tennis Championships, which kicked off Friday at the Jethro Sports Center in Valenzuela City.

Nearly 150 young athletes across nine age categories are competing for top honors and valuable ranking points in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

In the boys’ 18-and-under division, Cabaral faces stiff competition from the likes of Antonio Ng, Jr., Jose Santillan and Rueben Otadoy, while Mercado will be challenged by Sandra Bautista, Jana Diaz and Izabelle Camcam in what promises to be an exciting competition for the premier title in the five-day event sponsored by Keizan Steel Trading.

Ng, meanwhile, leads the talented pool of players in the 16-and-U category of the tournament, which is part of the nationwide circuit under the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala program, led by president/CEO Bobby Castro. Notable contenders include Julio Naredo, Troan Vytiaco and Zachary Morales.

In the girls’ division, Diaz and Bautista are expected to vie for the top spot, along with Ave Maria Policarpio and Jasmine Sardona.

For details, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

The tournament also promises intense competition in other categories with Naredo and Vytiaco, along with Antonio Bengzon and Enzo Masaga, leading the charge in the boys’ 14-and-U class, while Policarpio and Camcam are bracing for a spirited battle in the girls’ division with Athena Liwag and Lilith Rufino also aiming to make their mark.

Terrence Batallones and Cristiano Calingasan gear up for a showdown in the boys’ 12-and-U while Liwag, Vania Parawan, Rufino and Stella Policarpio are determined to slug it out in the girls’ category of the event sanctioned by Philta and Universal Tennis and supported by Slazenger.

Joaquin Dacyon and Mira Plaza, on the other, are set to dispute the 10-and-under unisex championship in the five-day tournament aimed at providing a platform for the young talents to develop their skills and stay engaged in healthy activities away from electronic devices.