Tria, Bayking boost PPS Bacolod cast

MANILA, Philippines – Nio Tria and Bliss Bayking gear up for a tough challenge as they banner the field in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Dangcagan, Bacolod leg regional tennis tournament which gets going today at the Center Court, Panaad and Manville tennis clubs.

Over 200 entries are vying for top honors in various divisions of the event, which also stakes ranking points, with the Manila-based Tria and Bayking from San Carlos City, Negros seeking a pair of titles each in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.

While he earns the top seeding in the boys’ 16-and-under class, Tria is ranked No. 3 behind top seed Karl Baran and No. 2 Lorenzo Legaspi in the premier 18-U category, which also drew the likes of Troy Llamas, Arvin Toledo, Reynan Mahusay, Vince Apostol and Bryan Bayking.

Bayking, on the other hand, is fancied in the girls’ 14-U side but is expected to have her hands full in the 16-U and 18-U classes, headlined by Tracy Llamas, Kiana de Asis and Valerie Desoyo.

“While we expect Tria and Bayking to dominate, we also see a number of reversals, this being a Group 2 tournament and a number of unranked stars raring to prove their worth and gain ranking points,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

The host has also tapped three venues to accommodate the big number of entries that has marked the circuit’s staging year-in, year-out. The event, sanctioned by Philta and backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusive distributor of Slazenger, the official ball, also serves as part of the Bacolod Masskara Festival.