Baran, De Asis head PPS-PEPP Panaad cast

MANILA, Philippines –  Karl Baran and Kiana de Asis hope to ride on the momentum of their two-title romp at Pontevedra last week as they banner the field in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis circuit presented by Technifibre at the Monta-Panaad Tennis Court in Bacolod.

The five-day, Group 2 event, the second of a series of tournaments in Negros this month, actually got under way yesterday with matches in the boys’ 16- 14- and 12- and girls’ 12-U classes.

Action goes full blast today with the top-seeded Baran battling the winner in the Nestor Lambunao-Rewel Justiniani duel and No. 2 Eldyzar Alvarico clashing with the winner in the Reynan Mahusay-CJ Alcala faceoff in the lower half of the draw.

Baran, who copped the 16- and 18-U titles in Pontevedra, also opens his campaign in the 16-U section of the event sanctioned by Philta headed by president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez and held in conjunction with the Masskara Festival starting today.

“While Karl and Kiana remain the players to watch owing to their top form, we also expect a number of reversals that have marked the staging of this long-running talent search,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro.

Ranked No. 3, Baran tangles with the victor in the Arvin Toledo-Reyniel Marcellano clash with No. 1 Justin Suarez squaring off with the winner in the Nestor Lambunao-Rolando Preston duel.

Second seed Jacob Martin collides with the victor in the RJ Dejilla-Ruben Castor collision in 16-U section.

The No. 2 De Asis, who matched Baran’s feat at Pontevedra, tangles with Faith Nicavera while top seed Tracy Llamas takes on the winner in the Nicalle Diaz-Kim Galanza clash in the featured 18-U clashes.

Llamas and De Asis are also set to see action in the 14- and 16-U categories.

The Panaad leg also serves as a prelude to the Palawan Pawnshop Pintaflores Festival Open Tennis Championship slated Oct. 27-Nov. 2 featuring the country’s leading players in the Open category at the San Carlos Tennis Center in San Carlos City.

Details: Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP organizer and sports program development director at 0915-4046464.