Date Published: March 13, 2018

JOHN David Velez and Tenielle Madis lived up to the hype and bagged two titles each as they shared MVP honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Tagum leg age-group tennis circuit at the Tagum City Tennis Club in Davao del Norte yesterday.

Velez, 14, dropped just three games to dominate his age group, taking the singles crown with a 6-1, 6-0 romp over Karl Palo. The Davao City ace also clinched the 16-under plum via the same score over Andrei Padao.

Madis, from Mlang, stamped her class in the girls’ 12 and 14-under sides, beating Jillian Manangking twice in the finals 6-1, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-0, respectively, in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger with Dunlop as the official ball.

In other games, Jazzell Madis, also of Cotabato, overpowered Lyza Colina 6-1, 6-0 for the girls’ 18-under title with unranked Meynard Badal of Panabo bagging the boys’ premier title with a 7-6(7), 6-3 win over No. 4 Lawrence Colina.

Lyza Colina rebounded in the 16-under class, holding off Daniela Licong 6-4, 6-2 in the finals while Polomolok’s Al Anazi shocked top seed Reyman Saldivar in a thrilling semis duel 6-3, 3-6, 14-12 then blasted Nathaniel Angus 6-1, 6-3 in the finals.

Kidapawan’s Jose Palo stunned top seed Shaun Globasa 4-0, 5-3 to bag the 10-unisex plum in the five-day tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.

“Velez and Madis should serve as inspiration to those aspiring to make it big in the sport someday. Through hard work and dedication – and their continued participation in the circuit – these two youngsters have been dominating not only their age divisions but also the higher categories,” said Palawan Pawnshop president-CEO Bobby Castro.

Velez and Madis completed a three-title romp each as the former teamed up with Lawrence Colina and edged Kenneth Eufemiano and Andrei Santiago 8-4 in the 18-under doubles finals. The Madis siblings also ripped Lyza Colina and Daniela Likong 8-0 to bag the crown.

Other doubles winners were Manangking and Sheloh Ripdos and Kris Espinoza and Andrei Padao (14-under) and James Aquino and Pete Mateo (10-unisex).

Source: malaya.com.ph