First Gen jr netfest fires off

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s leading and upcoming junior netters resume their hunt for title and ranking points as they vie in the fourth First Gen/Juntaphil Metro Age Group tennis tournament which gets going today at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

The seven-day event ending Sunday is the second in as many weeks for the young netters who are seeing action in the ongoing Juntaphil Cup in Baguio.

Events on tap in the upcoming tournament, presented by First Gen Corporation and sponsored by Smart Communications, are the 10-unisex, 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-under categories in both the boys and girls divisions. Other titles to be disputed are those in the 10-unisex, 14- and 18-under doubles events, also in the boys and girls classes.

Organized by the Junior Tennis Association of the Philippines, the Baguio tournament is a Group 2 event while the First Gen championship is a Group 1 tilt sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association with Technifibre as the official ballls.

Meanwhile, to promote sportsmanship and honesty among the junior players as well as prepare them for international various competitions, Juntaphil said no umpires would officiate competitions for all age brackets except for 10-unisex in the First Gen Cup.

Players will be required to call the shots of their opponents and keep track of their scores as Juntaphil hopes to help build not only players but also their character as well. 

However, there will be umpires for all semifinal and final round matches.

For details, contact tournament referee Cesar San Juan at Philta office (523 6415) or 0906-2777916.