Santos, Labasano share top honors in Palawan netfest

MANILA, Philippines - Local ace Alexie Santos put on a strong performance and swept three crowns while Jed Justin Labasano of Pampanga racked up two victories as they rule the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age-group tennis tournament at the Gov. Socrates Tennis Courts in Puerto Princesa, Palawan Wednesday.

The 13-year-old Santos mastered Khyshana Hitosis twice, scoring a 6-2, 6-2 romp to claim the premier girls’ 18-Under crown and a 6-0, 6-4 victory to pocket the 16-U diadem. She capped her domination of the event, hosted by Palawan Pawnshop and sanctioned by Philta, by taking the 14-U plum with a 6-2, 6-0 rout of Averille Sacapano.

Labasano, 12, trounced Sebastian Santos, 6-1, 6-3, to clinch the boys’ U-12 title and upended top seed Raphael Reyes, 6-4, 6-3, to snatch the U-14 crown in the event sponsored by Babolat through Technosports president Guillermo Nocom.

Puerto Princesa’s No. 4 Francisco Santos demolished No. 3 Luke Flores, 6-1, 6-0, to capture the boys’ U-18 title, Vincent Alanis from Iriga City stunned top seed Jose Arguelles, 7-6(2), 6-2, to bag the U-16 crown, while Sebastian Santos took the 10-unisex plum with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Lance Hitosis.

Averille Sacapano, a 12-year-old find from Aklan, overpowered Abby Malong, 6-2, 6-2, to annex the girls’ U-12 title in the tournament, which drew the leading junior players from Pampanga, Iriga, Naga, Lucena, Sultan Kudarat, Marbel, Malita, Bacolod, Iloilo, Aklan and the National Capital Region.

The hosts, through Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro, provided free accommodation to all participants and a free tour of the world famous Underground River and the other top spots of the city.