Celestino sparks surge of young netters

Nestor Celestino Jr. ousted JV Cruz, 8-4; Mclean Barraquias whipped Jomar Arcilla, 8-6; Michael Basco routed Chris Murfet, 8-2; and Dino Ferrari tripped Michael Mantua, 8-4, to resume the charge of the young turks in the ongoing qualifying rounds of the Philta Open at the Olivarez Sports Center indoor clay courts.

But as the junior players made their presence felt, old guards Frank Paguyo, Russell Arcilla Sr., Aldin Lu, Ivan Torrecampo, Inigo Cageron and Aldrin Geluz kept the flame for the seniors with contrasting win over separate rivals.

Favored netters Alexander Lazaro and Rico Gonzales started their respective quest with victories over Ian de Guzman, 8-2 and Gerry Monsanto, 8-3, respectively, in the Philta Open offering P200,000 in total prize money bankrolled by Philta chairman Dr. Pablo Olivarez and supported by Stronghold Insurance and Wilson balls.

In a pair of late evening matches last Sunday, Agnel Buday’s perseverance paid off against Juancho Botor who lost stem in the crucial endgame after leading most of the way en route to an exciting 8-6 triumph; while jojo Nicdao slammed Jeff Lee 8-5.