Guarde, Bentillo rule Lhuillier netfest

MANILA, Philippines – Carlyn Bless Guarde and Minette April Bentillo sustained their form as the Isulan, Sultan Kudarat bets nailed another pair of victories in the Surallah, South Cotabato leg of the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship recently.

Guarde dominated Angel Cagadas twice, posting an 8-3 victory in the 16-and-under finals and scoring an 8-4 romp for the 18-U crown while Bentillo routed Juliana Viloria, 8-1, to cop the 12-U title and then defeated Joyce Sapitanan of Tacurong City via the same scorline for the 14-U diadem.

Meanwhile, local bet Edczar Jay Sta. Maria took the boys’ 12-U crown with an 8-1 victory over Jose Balonga then held off Sultan Kudarat’s Wilfred Bentillo, 8-4, for the 14-U plum. Another Isulan bet, Vince EJ Tugade, bagged the boys’ 16-U crown with a 9-7 victory over Kidapawan City’s Lisandro Jefferson Alqueza, who got back at his tormentor to rule the premier 18-U class, 8-5.

Marshall Ben Mission nipped fellow local bet Hernie Angelo, 5-4, 4-0, to pocket the 10-unisex crown in the event sponsored by Cebuana Lhuillier, which vowed to put up bigger, better circuit next year.

“As the year nears its end, we can look back with pride to this year’s series as new faces emerged while previous champions even got better. Next year, we look forward  to another big year for the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Championship Series,” said sportsman and patron Jean Henri Lhuillier, president/CEO of the sponsoring Cebuana Lhuillier Group.