CEBU, Philippines - Cebu's top junior netters brace for a tough showdown with their counterparts from Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and the National Capital Region (NCR) as the Cebu leg of the Palawan Pawnshop Age-Group Tennis Circuit gets underway today at the Cebu International Tennis Centre, Inc. (CITCI) courts in Laray, Consolacion.
Leading the cast of Cebuano contenders in the five-day tilt are Hannah Espinosa, Shyne Villareal and Arthur Craig Pantino. Espinosa is the top player to watch in the girls 18-under, while Villareal and Pantino gained top seedings in the girls 16 and boys 14-under, respectively.
The other Cebu bets in the event presented by Babolat and sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) are Jan Godrey Seno, Jana Pages, Francis Lambayan, Zethley Alferez, and the Salimbangon siblings Kristin and Cesar.
They are expected to face tough challenge from the country's leading junior players namely Alexie Santos, Sebastian Santos, Maxine Ong and Lara Hagedorn from Palawan, Toni Rose Raymundo, Shyryn Salazar and Kiana de Asis from Bacolod, Averille Sacapano, Luke Flores and Matthew Flores from Iloilo, and Sebastian Mosqueda from Cagayan de Oro City.
Julian Dayrit, Diego Dayrit, Sebastien Lhuillier and Stephan Lhuillier make up the crack team from the Big City.
“This series of tournaments in the provinces is part of our continuing effort to help develop the sport from the grassroots level,†said PHILTA regional vice president and Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro. (FREEMAN)