Ringia, Guarde share PPS GenSan honors

MANILA, Philippines -  Koronadal’s Janus Ringia came away with a pair of straight-set romps to dominate the boys’ division while Carlyn Bless Guarde stamped her class in the girls’ side in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Gen. San leg regional age group tennis tournament in Gen. Santos City last Monday.

Ringia ripped Christian Villarin, 6-4, 6-2, to clinch the 16-and-under crown then thwarted Steven Sonsona, 6-4, 6-3, for the 18-U title while Guarde survived Ezra Enriquez, 4-6, 6-3, 10-8, in the 16-U finals then the Sultan Kudarat ace mastered her rival from Salog, Zamboanga, 6-4, 6-3, to pocket the 18-U plum in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.

The twin wins likewise netted Ringia and Guarde the coveted MVP plums aside precious ranking points staked in each leg of the nationwide circuit backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg.

Brent Cortez from Tubod, Lanao scored a 1-0 (ret.) win over top seed David Velez to snare the boys’ 14-U title while Enriquez bounced back from her twin setbacks to Guarde by taking the 14-U crown with a 6-1, 6-1 romp over Jonamil Prado.

Digos City’s Andrei Padao stunned top seed Joji Taketomi, 6-2, 6-2, in the semis then overpowered Rey Napala, 6-1, 6-2, to capture the boys’ 12-U diadem while Glan, Sarangani’s Angelie Ripdos ripped Sunshine Remollo, 6-1, 6-2, to win the girls’ 12-U title and top seed Al Rasheed Lucman crushed Taketomi, 4-1, 4-0, for the 10-unisex plum.

Meanwhile, action in the Visayas summer tour resumed over the weekend with Kristin Salimbangon, Bless Coderos, Mae Repollo, Shedel Gica and Rae Batucan bannering the girls’ field and Troy Llamas, Vhon Tudtud, Mark Albaracin, Vinz Luminoque, Cesar Salimbangon and Kenneth Tenepre the marked players in the boys’ side.

Ringia actually scored three victories as he teamed up with Bruce Hurtado to win the 18-U doubles with an 8-3 decision over siblings Arden and Geoff Asilo while

Chlouey Pulido and Jonamil Prado foiled Enriquez and Nikki Okol, 8-4, to take the girls’ U-18 title.

Geoff Asilo and Brent Cortez blasted Derek Napala and Andrei Padao, 8-2, to nail the boys’ 14-U doubles title with sisters Zkyna and Zkyla Cervantes winning the girls crown with an 8-4 upset of Angelica Novis and Jomarie Mangarai while Ben Flores and Joshua Cabanting took the 10-unisex doubles plum with an 8-1 rout of Shasha Pereda and Taketomi.

Meanwhile, Koronadal will host the next Mindanao leg starting today (April 24) before Tacloban takes its turn on April 28-May 2 and Tagum on April 30-May 4. For details, call PPS-PEPP Regional Age Group Tennis Event organizer and Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.