Anthony Castigador carved out a pair of victories in contrasting fashions to match Hannah Divinagracia’s stress-free two-title romp in the distaff side as they shared the Most Valuable Player honors in the PPS-PEPP Mayor Jerry Trenas national juniors tennis championships at La Paz courts in Iloilo last Tuesday.
While he yielded just three games in four matches to top his age-group category, capped by a 4-0, 4-0 victory over Marben Alimarin in the finals, the 12-year-old Castigador gutted it out in the tougher 14-and-U play, repulsing fellow Iloilo City Sports Academy standout Rizzjun Labindao, 4-2, 5-3, and completing a twinkill in boys’ singles in the Group 2 tournament held in conjunction with the city’s 86th Charter anniversary celebration.
Divinagracia, meanwhile, stamped her class in her side of the battle as the Bacolod ace came away with a pair of shutout wins over Ave Maria Policarpio and Aleeva Suace in the 16-under and 18-under finals, respectively.
Cebu City’s RB John Lataza took the boys’ 18-under trophy with a 4-0, 4-0 romp over Ian Ituriaga from Sara, Iloilo City, who earlier upended top seed Jeremy Napiere, 5-4(2), 6-0, to claim the 16-under diadem while Bogo City’s Pete Niere routed Don Olavides, 4-1, 4-1, for the 10-unisex crown.
Second ranked Louraine Jallorina thumped No. 1 Ave Maria Policarpio, 4-0, 4-0, to run away with the girls’ 14-under plum, while Bacolod City’s Isobel Alipo-on upended top seed Stella Policarpio, 4-0, 4-0, in the quarterfinals, held off Annie Dante, 5-4(4), 4-2, in the semis then survived Theriz Zapatos, 4-0, 4-5(5), 10-7, to snare the 12-under diadem.
