Brice Baisa kept his dominant run in the PPS-PEPP junior circuit, repelling top seed Vince Serna, 7-6(2), 6-2, in the boys’ 18-and-under finals to fashion out another two-title romp in the Imus City National Championship at the Imus/Meadowood courts in Cavite over the weekend.
The rising 16-year-old star from Puerto Princesa earlier topped his age-group bracket as an unranked bet, upending top seed Reign Maravilla in a tight quarterfinal duel, 5-4(6), 5-3, then blasting the Dilao siblings to match his feats in the Iloilo, Roxas City and Bacolod legs of the country’s longest talent-search presented by Dunlop early in the season.
He routed France Dilao, 6-0, 6-2, in the 16-U semis then crushed Frank Dilao, 6-3, 6-1, for the crown.
As second seed in 18-U play, Baisa repeated over France Dilao, 4-2, 4-2, in the quarters, re-asserted his mastery of Maravilla, 6-4, 6-4, in the semis before turning back Serna with a mix of everything in the championship.
Young Maristella Torrecampo shared the MVP honors with Baisa with a victory and a runner-up finish in the girls’ side of the Group 2 tournament held under the junior tennis program put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
The Los Baños find ripped Kylie Cautivo, 6-1, 6-0, to run away with the 12-U trophy but yielded to top seed Joy Ansay, who came away with a 6-2, 6-3 victory in the 14-U finals of the tournament backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).
Other winners were Bacoor, Cavite’s Czarina Ilano and Jana Diaz, Gen. Trias, Cavite’s Tristan Licayan, Alexandre Coyiuto of Makati City and Raven Licayan.
Ilano stunned top seed Diaz in the semis then held off Jeannieross Barcia from Spain, 6-4, 6-3, to snare the girls’ 18-U title after the latter beat the former, 6-2, 6-3, in the 16-U finals; Tristan Licayan foiled Marwin Plata, 6-4, 6-2, for the boys’ 14-U diadem; Alexandre Coyiuto smothered sibling Aaron Coyiuto, 6-1, 6-2, for the 12-U crown; and second seed Raven Licayan repulsed No. 1 Tyronne Caro, 4-2, 5-4(8), for the 10-unisex plum.
Meanwhile, the circuit takes a week-long break with action resuming on May 1-14 for the Brookside Hills Open in Cainta, Rizal featuring the Open category (men’s singles and doubles), the Juniors Group I and the Legends (men’s singles 35-and-above) and men’s doubles (40 and 50 above).
For details and listup, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
