Tan Ho rips Olivarez, nets First Gen crown

MANILA, Philippines - Top seed Jasmine Tan Ho steeled herself up in the deciding set and completed a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Shannin Olivarez to cop the girls’ 18-and-under title in the second First Gen Juntaphil Metro Age Group Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial tennis courts yesterday.

Tan Ho, who dropped only five games in three matches on her way to the final, looked headed for another romp with a solid performance in the opening set against Olivarez. But she sputtered in the next, losing her touch and focus, enabling the fifth-ranked Olivarez to come back and force a decider.

The 14-year-old Grade 7 student at International School, however, flashed some kind of resiliency, re-stamping her class in the third and scoring with her backhand and down-the-line shots to take the first three games en route to the victory.

The win netted Tan Ho 200 ranking points, firming up her place in local women’s tennis and further boosting her confidence heading into the Head Jr Tennis Tour Satellite Circuit this week.

She could’ve vied in and dominated the 14- and 16-and-under divisions but opted to concentrate on the 18-and-under class to attend to her classes at IS.

In other final results, top seed Kyle Parpan stopped Betto Orendain, 6-4, 6-4, to win the boys’ 16-and-under crown, while No. 5 John Mavrick Victoria upset the second-seeded Orendain, 6-2, 7-5, to snatch the 14-and-under title in the event sponsored by Smart Communications and presented by First Gen Corp.

Olivarez also returned to beat Louise Lopez, 6-3, 7-5, and cop the girls 16-and-under plum while Alberto Villamor downed Juan Gabriel Peña, 6-2, 6-2, to cop the boys’ 18-and-under crown.

Eric Olivarez Jr. defeated Christian San Andres, 6-4, 6-4, to pocket the 12-and-under title while Mimo Tomacruz prevailed over Cenon Gonzales, 6-2, 6-1, to claim the 10-unisex diadem.

Sisters Marian and Charito Capadocia swept the 14- and 12-and-under titles by downing Akiko de Guzman, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, and Colleen Sioson, 6-4, 6-2, respectively.