MANILA, Philippines - A bunch of relatively unfamiliar names, led by Lucena City’s Aidyll Ignacio and Nueva Ecija’s Melanie Faye Dizon, emerged winners at the recently concluded Cainta leg of the 2017 Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series.
Ignacio upended Taytay’s Patrick Mendoza, 7-6, 6-4 for the boys’ 18-under crown while the duo partnered to rule the boys’ 18-U doubles, beating Latrel Javier and Dawson Ormoc 8-6. Dizon duplicated Ignacio’s feat, winning the girls’ 18-U, 6-3, 6-2 over Olongapo City native Dana Regala.
She and Ariana Nilasca went on to annex the girls’ 18-U doubles title, beating Althea Fay Ong and Regala, 8-6.
“The more unfamiliar names we see as winners, the better as it shows there are indeed young tennis talents out there just waiting for the opportunity to show what they can do and I initiated the Cebuana Lhuillier age group series precisely for that purpose,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, president-CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.
The 16-U winners in the tournament, also supported by Dunlop as the official ball, were Red Directo and Axl Gonzaga, Alejandro Barrientos (12-U), Alabang’s Samuel Salazar (10-U) and Pasig City’s Novak Brazal.
In the distaff side, Ong edged out Julia Ignacio from Lucena, 7-5, 6-3 for the 16-U crown.