Ballado, Dagoon on collision course in Puerto Princesa netfest

MANILA, Philippines — Jayden Reece Ballado and Jan Cadee Dagoon gear up for a thrilling showdown as they compete in both the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under divisions at the Puerto Princesa National Juniors Tennis Championships in Palawan.

The Group 1 tournament, presented by Dunlop, kicks off Monday, October 28, drawing some of the country’s top junior talents, who are all vying for ranking points and top honors across nine age categories.

Ballado, from Nueva Ecija, leads the 18-and-U division, where Dagoon is seeded second. They’ll be challenged by Trixie Gascon and Zita Clarke. Dagoon, on the other hand, claimed the top seed in the 16-and-U class ahead of Ballado with Ayl Gonzaga and Clarke also in the mix.

At just 14, Dagoon, from Olongapo City, is also a frontrunner in her own age group. She will be tested by Maristella Torrecampo, Gonzaga and Maria Isabel Ataiza as she aims for a remarkable three-title sweep in this tournament, sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) and backed by the nationwide talent search initiative of Palawan Pawnshop, led by president and CEO Bobby Castro.

For details, contact tournament director and PPS-PEPP Sports Program and Development head Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

In the boys' division, Antonio Ng, Jr. is eyeing the 18-and-under title, competing against the likes of Evan Bacalso, Anthony Castigador and Rizzjun Labindao, while Gavin Kraut, determined to bounce back from a recent setback, leads the 16-and-under field, joined by Ng, Castigador, Anthony Cosca, Armik Serillo, Labindao, Jairo Flores and Antonio Santillan.

The 14-and-under division also promises tight competition, with Castigador, Cosca and Serillo headlining the field, which includes Cristiano Calingasan, Francisco de Juan III, Labindao, Jacob Gonzales and Flores.

Other titles will be contested in the boys' and girls' 12-and-under, and the 10-and-under unisex divisions, supported by Universal Tennis Ranking and ICON Golf & Sports.

The PPS-NTC Pro-Am tournament, featuring the tandems of Evan Bacalso-Jeric Dalde, Marraphael Teng-Kraut, Sebastian Santos-Rudy Ubay, and Randy and Raffy Delavin, will run alongside the main event, along with Legends doubles across various age divisions.