Fourth seed Ivan Manila topped Tristan Licayan, 6-0, 6-2, in the final to rule the PPS-PEPP Brookside Open National Juniors Championships boys’ 16-and-under division at the Brookside Hills Tennis Club’s clay courts in Cainta, Rizal over the weekend.
The San Jose, Nueva Ecija bet Manila eased past the No. 5 seed, relying on his well-placed shots and crisp service game.
Manila’s golden double attempt, however, was spoiled by third ranked Pagadian City netter Zhul Pantaran, 4-6, 5-7, in the final of the premier boys’ 18-U category of the Group I tournament presented by Dunlop.
After taking down Licayan, Manila looked all set for a twin-kill after dropping just five games to reach the 18-U finals, including a 6-2, 6-3 romp over Samuel Davila in the semis.
But Pantaran came out fresh from a 1-0 (retired) win over Alfonso Infante in the Fina Four and repulsed Manila in a baseline duel.
Meanwhile, Sandra Bautista lived up to her top billing in the girls’ 14-U class, holding off second seed Joy Ansay, 7-5, 6-3, in the final.
Bautista just came up short of claiming a second crown when she fell victim to Quezon City bet Chloe Mercado, 4-6, 6-4, 4-10, in a tightly contested 16-U semis showdown.
Other winners in the event, which served as prelude to the PPS Brookside Open, were Licayan (14-U), Quezon City’s Zachary Morales (boys’ 12-U), unranked Alexa Milliam from La Carlota (girls’ 18-U), and Maristella Torrecampo from Los Baños (girls’ 12-U).
Licayan, also from Imus, ripped Parañaque’s Gavin Kraut, 6-1, 6-2; Morales foiled QC’s Yñigo Naredo, 6-3, 6-3; Milliam dominated Kaye Mustaza from Bulacan, 6-0, 6-1; and Torrecampo crushed Cadee Dagoon from Olongapo City, 6-0, 6-1, in their respective championship pairings.
