Canizares repulses Otico, captures First Gen crown

MANILA, Philippines - Argil Lance Canizares fought back from a second set setback with an imposing game in the decider to fashion out a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Bryan Otico and capture the boys’ 18-and-under crown in the First Gen-Juntaphil Metro Age Group Tennis Championships at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Canizares, fresh from his stunning straight-set romp over top seed Jed Olivarez in the semis, poured it all out in the third set as the incoming La Salle bet frustrated the unfancied Otico to win the premier crown in the event presented by First Gen and organized by the Junior Tennis Association of the Philippines.

Olivarez, trying to atone for his loss in the 18-and-under class, stayed in the hunt for the 16-U title as he stopped Leroy Bering, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the finals against the winner of the Marden Gonzales-Emmanuel Fuellas duel being played at presstime.

Top seed Arthur Pantino and No. 2 Cenon Gonzales Jr. forged a showdown for the 14-U diadem by beating Fuellas, 6-4, 6-1, and Jacob Martin, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, respectively, while Marcus del Rosario and Alexander Bulilan set a duel of the fancied bets for the 12-U crown with victories over Nio Tria (6-1, 6-1) and Ramon Bentillo (6-3, 6-0).

Nueva Ecjia find Eurydice Gaspar, who booted out second seed Alexandra Eala in the second round, continued her giant-killing spree as she upended third-ranked Miguel Vicencio, 4-2, 4-2, to barge to the finals of the 10-unisex division of the event sponsored by Smart Communications, Technifibre Balls, Accel, RCBC and Pet One.

But Gaspar, playing out of the Guiding Star in Bagong Sikat, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, will have her hands full as she faces top seed Jan Trillanes, who survived Daniel Estanislao III, 5-3, 4-5(3), 5-3, in one of the final matches today.

Eala, an incoming Grade 3 at Immaculate Conception Academy and daughter of former national swimmer Rizza Maniego Eala, held off Blanche Lagrisola, 7-6(4), 6-3, to seal a 12-U title clash with No. 1 Mikaela Vicencio.

Top seed Roxanne Resma trounced Jana Pages, 6-1, 6-4, to make the finals of the girls’ 16-U against the winner of the Ma. Dominique Ong-Frances Santiago semis showdown.

Santiago earlier scored a 5-2 (ret.) win over second seed Chloe Mae Saraza to advance to the 14-U finals against top seed Rafaella Villanueva, who smothered Vicencio, 6-3, 6-0.