ATENEO de Davao University (AdDu) netter Jenni Celine Cansino Dizon saved the day for the Davao City elementary tennis team when she bagged the girls single gold medal at the close of the 2010 Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) Meet tennis competition Saturday in Mati, Davao Oriental.
It was Davao City's only gold in the elementary division as the boys team also suffered a shutout in the three-day meet serving as the basis for the selection of the Davao Region athletes to the Palarong Pambansa next month in Tarlac.
Davao City stamped its class in the secondary class, ruling both the secondary boys and girls teams events, secondary boys singles and doubles and secondary boys and girls doubles.
Dizon, the youngest child of Abet and Marivic who own the Racquetsports Shop, crushed Davao Oriental's Princess Aiko Miyata, 8-1, in their titular showdown.
"Hindi naman niya masyadong binabalik ang bola, mahina din ang palo niya. Nag-placing nalang ako kasi hindi man din niya nakukuha ang bola ko (She doesn't really return my ball. She doesn't hit as I expected so I just made some ball placements)," Dizon said of Miyata's game.
Dizon said she looks forward to competing in the Palaro and perhaps arrange a showdown with highly-touted Roxanne Resma of Northern Mindanao. The latter from Cagayan de Oro had already beaten her in four meetings.
"I will have to practice hard to prepare against Resma. She is very good in serves, volleys, backhand and forehand. She's really an all-around player indeed. But I will do my best to somehow beat her for the first time," Dizon said in Filipino.
Dizon, who upset RP girls 12-under No. 2 Maya Balce and No. 3 Jade Charito Cappadocia in the Head Manila age-group tennis championships last year, said she trains for two hours a day at the Dona Vicenta tennis courts with her dad and brother Andrei.
The elementary boys singles gold went to Christian Fel Lopez of the Island Garden City of Samal. He overwhelmed Joey Montero of Davao Oriental, 8-2.
Lopez, an 11-year-old Grade 5 student of Angel Villarica Central Elementary School, said in the vernacular: "I'm so happy for this first Davraa gold in my fourth stint here. I hope I also improve in my second Palaro."
Davao Oriental, meanwhile, bagged the elementary boys and elementary girls team golds. Davao Oriental nipped Davao City, 2-1, in the boys team finals while its girl netters also won on the same note over Davao del Norte, 2-1.
Jeleardo Amazona and Windel Libaton crushed Davao City's Jaffary Cariga and Jomari Justin Guira, 8-1, for the elementary boys doubles gold while Debbie Ace Songcuya and Twinnie Joy Delfinan combined forces to whip Reynee Julienne Partosa, 8-2, in girls doubles.
Rogelio EStanio Jr. outclassed his Davao City teammate Clee Jay Albano, 8-6, in secondary boys singles finals while Henry Notarte and Joel Cabusan bagged the doubles gold by beating Davao Oriental's Aldwin Libaton and Leonardo Cero, 8-6.
Davao City's Genevieve Coarte and Anne Castillo captured the secondary doubles gold over Davao del Sur's Abegail Icoy and Christine Ordaneza, 8-5.
Igacos bet Lenelyn Milo also shared the limelight by winning the secondary girls singles gold at the expense of Davao Oriental's Nicole Regino, 8-1.
Sainz Tennis Club president Max Valles and Davraa tennis tournament manager Marivic Salvador awarded the medals to the winners.