MANILA, Philippines – The chase for top honors and ranking points in the national juniors tennis shifts to Cainta, Rizal beginning Thursday with over 150 entries clashing in eight age-group divisions in the PPS-PEPP Brookside Open at the Brookside Hills Tennis Club’s clay courts.
Ivan Manila and Alfonso Infante gear up for a showdown in the boys’ premier division while siblings Kaye-Ann and Mica Emana brace for a fierce duel in the girls’ 18-U side of the Group 1 tournament presented by Dunlop, which also serves as prelude to next week’s Brookside Open featuring the country’s leading and rising players.
For details, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 09154046464.
Brothers France and Frank Dilao also look to dispute the 16-U crown with last week’s PCA Juniors 14-U winner Reign Maravilla joining the title hunt along with Manila, Tristan Licayan, Samuel Davila, Yusuf Burahan and Joshua Diva.
Hannah Divinagracia, Sandra Bautista, Joy Ansay and Chloe Mercado, on the other hand, are tipped to crowd for the girls’ 16-U trophy in the week-long tournament, a part of the country’s longest-running talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Licayan and Maravilla also banner the 14-U cast that includes Lexious Cruz, Gavin Kraut, Zachary Morales, Ynigo Naredo, Seth Torrecampo and Gerard Manigque, while Bautista, Ansay, Maristella Torrecampo and Cadee Dagoon prime up for fierce duels in their side of the battle.
Tipped to contend for the crowns in the youngest category (12-U) in the tournament, backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating). are Brendan Morales, Dean Palaroan, Lorenzo Go and Naredo (boys) and Maristella Torrecampo, Ronielle Oliveros, Kylie Cautivo and Dagoon (girls).