San Jose netfest on

MANILA, Philippines — Ariel Cabaral and Chloe Mercado will lead the pack seeking honors in the San Jose Salt National Juniors Tennis Championships, which kicked off yesterday at the Jethro Sports Center in Valenzuela City.

Nearly 150 young athletes across nine age categories are competing for titles 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 for the premier titles in the five-day event sponsored by Keizan Steel Trading.

Ng 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.