CEDRIX BRAVO hacked out a pair of tough wins while Ashley McKenzie swept her way to twin victories in the premier sides to clinch the MVP honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Mandaue national age-group tennis tournament last Tuesday, Dec. 18.
The top seeded Bravo from Ormoc City survived Raymund Goco twice, escaping with a 6-1, 3-6, 10-6 victory in the boys’ 16-U finals and a 6-7(2), 7-5, 10-8 thriller for the 18-U crown in the Group 2 tournament.
The No. 4 McKenzie, on the other hand, routed top seed Bless Coderos, 6-1, 6-2, in the semis then ripped No. 2 Corazon Lambonao, 6-3, 6-1, to snare the girls’ 16-U diadem and lead the rash of reversals in the girls’ division. The rising star from Australia, whose mother is a Cebuana, held off Mia Gemida, 7-5, 6-2, in the 18-U finals of the event put up by Palawan Pawnshop.
Gemida, also from Ormoc, earlier upended top seed Lambonao, 6-2, 6-1, for the 14-U title while Thalia Suson, Louise Paliwag, Mitch Largo and Goco shared center stage in the penultimate leg of the annual nationwide circuit sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines.
No. 4 Suson, from Liloan, Cebu, stunned top seed Paliwag, 7-5, 7-5, to pocket the girls’ 12-U plum; Paliwag, from Valencia, Dumaguete, took the 10-unisex title with a 4-2, 4-5(3), 4-0 victory over Juvels Velos; and Largo, from Naga, Cebu, repulsed Chad Cuizon, 3-6, 6-2, 10-4, for the boys’ 12-U diadem.
Goco served notice of his rise by shocking top seed Hans Cabellon, 2-6, 6-4, 10-0, in the semis and blasting Mitch Largo, 6-2, 6-2, to nail the 14-U title.
“The future looks bright for McKenzie, Goco and company who continue to shine through a sustained campaign in the PPS-PEPP circuit,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/Cheif Executive OfficerBobby Castro. (PR)