Flores, Raymundo rule Philta age-group

MANILA, Philippines - Luke Alquinn Flores and Toni Rose Raymundo clinched two titles each and turned in runner-up finishes to emerge the top players in the Philta-Palawan Pawnshop Regional Age-Group Championships presented by Babolat at La Carlota Tennis Club in Negros Occidental, Bacolod recently.

Flores, a 14-year-old old find from Central Philippine University in Iloilo, stopped giant-killer Adrian Dehertogh, 5-4, 4-0, to bag the boys’ 16-and-under crown then repulsed Iloilo leg winner Matthew Crisosto, 4-2, 2-4, 10-6, to capture the 14-U plum.

He, however, fell short of a three-peat as he dropped a 4-1, 0-4, 4-10 setback to Prince Clelo in the 18-U finalsRaymundo, on the other hand, reigned in the girls’ 18- and 14-U divisions, humbling Bacolog leg winner Keanna Flores, 5-3, 4-1, and Rushlyn Clelo, 4-0, 4-1, respectively. Like Flores, she missed making it three in a row as Flores got back for a 4-1, 4-0 rout in the 16-U finals.

“Flores and Raymundo are just two players in a deep pool of young talents whom we’d like to develop and train for possible slots in the national pool,” said Philta president Rep. Edwin Olivarez.

The event is sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop through COO Bobby Castro and Technosports president Guillermo Nocom in their continuing commitment to develop the sport and discover talents, particularly in the countryside.

Second seed Valerie Desoyo dominated Keanne de Asis, 4-0, 4-2, to capture the girls’ 12-u crown in the event serving as part of Philta’s talent-search in the country’s key cities and provinces.

Top seed Marcus del Rosario, meanwhile, played true to form and topped the boys’ 12-U class, beating second seek Karl Baran, 4-1, 4-0, while unranked Jeff Adrian Senio completed his remarkable campaign by upending second seed Ceazar Fernando Po in a grueling final, 1-4, 4-0, 15-13, to snatch the 10-unisex crown.