CORPUS Christi’s Janella Carmela Llavore, considered as Roxanne Resma’s heir apparent in distaff side of the local age-group tennis circuit, quickly regained her bearing after a forgettable finish in the last Cebuana Lhuillier event here.
Titan, as friends fondly call her, yielded the girls’ 18-under title to Shaira Hope Rivera of Davao City in the Cagayan de Oro leg of the 2015 Cebuana Lhuillier Age-Group Tennis Championship Series. But like the more illustrious Resma, who was also a product of Corpus Christi School and her neighbor in height, Llavore proved to everyone that she’s equally-competitive and a worthy defender of the Nazareth Lawn Tennis Club (NLTC).
Down but not out, Llavore returned at same venue in brgy. Nazareth to emerge as the only twin winner of the just concluded Globe 17th Head Graphene XT Junior Tennis Satellite Circuit Cagayan de Oro City leg.
Llavore defeated Corpus Christi compatriot Mary Aubrey Calma in the 18-under finals (6-1, retired), then snapped the title streak of Patricia Velez in the 16-under category.
Velez won the 16-under singles’ title in Davao City first leg and Isulan, Sultan Kudarat second leg.
“Coming back with two title victories in singles event is such a morale-booster especially that we’re heading to Camiguin after this for the kick-off leg of the Cebuana Lhuillier summer events,” Titan’s father Jonelle Llavore, who is coaching Corpus Christi tennis varsity team, then told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
Meanwhile, Allen Gerry Manlangit of Iligan subdued Aaron Paduganan of Misamis Oriental in the boys’ 18-under finals, 6-3, 6-3 as
Jake Martin dumped Andre Cuevas, 6-3, 6-3 for the boys’ 16-under plum.
Cuevas, however, vented his ire in the boys’ 14-under finals, beating Titan’s younger brother Jonelle Christian Llavore, 6-1, 6-2 in the annual competition organized by the Dynamics Sports and attracted 130 participants from the Mindanao region.