The Olongapo City netters delivered a commanding performance in the Mayor Benedict Calderon Cup National Juniors Tennis Championships, with Jan Cadee Dagoon clinching three titles, including a pair of singles crowns, over the weekend in Roxas, Isabela.
Backed by a solid grassroots program, the Olongapo bets showcased their depth and talent, capturing majority of the age-group titles in the Group 2 tournament at the Lado del Rio Resort and Roxas Tennis Club.
The event, sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta), was part of the 77th Araw ng Roxas celebrations.
Dagoon, the top seed, lived up to expectations as she outlasted Ayl Gonzaga in a tightly contested second set to prevail, 6-2, 7-6 (2), in the girls’ 16-and-under finals.
She then returned with even greater resolve to dominate Gonzaga anew in the premier 18-and-U division, 6-1, 6-3, becoming the only double gold medalist in singles play of the tournament sponsored by Mayor Benedict Calderon.
Adding to her accolades, Dagoon also teamed up with Isabela’s Shaner Gabaldon to rule the girls’ 18-and-U doubles, capping a triple-title run that underscored her status as one of the country’s rising junior stars in the nationwide circuit under the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) program, led by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Cosca, for his part, asserted his might in the boys’ 14-and-U division, defeating Balanga’s Cristiano Calingasan, 6-3, 6-2. Though he fell short of a twin-title feat after bowing to Olongapo teammate John David Vytiaco, 6-1, 6-4, in the 16-and-U finals, Cosca emerged as the best performer on the boys’ side, earning co-MVP honors with Dagoon.
Overall, Olongapo City players topped six singles divisions, swept two doubles titles, and figured in nearly every final match, affirming the success of the city’s grassroots tennis development, often referred to as the Gateway to Subic Bay’s rising powerhouse.
Also making his mark was Yuan Andrei Torrente, who dominated the boys’ 12-and-U division with a 6-2, 6-0 rout of fellow Olongapo bet Joaquin Dacyon. Torrente later partnered with Calingasan to win the boys’ 14-and-U doubles title.
Meanwhile, Kirk Gonzaga extended Olongapo’s winning spree by ruling the 10-and-U unisex singles with a 4-2, 4-1 win over Maximus Calingasan of Bataan. The pair then joined forces to capture the 10-and-U doubles trophy, rounding out Olongapo’s sweep of the youngest division.
In the girls’ side, Gonzaga bounced back from her twin losses to Dagoon by ruling the 14-and-U singles with a 6-2, 6-1 win over local bet Gabaldon, who took the 12-and-U crown with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over Isabel Calingasan of Bataan. Gabaldon also shared the 14-and-U doubles title with Astrid Cablitas.
Host province Isabela managed to salvage a title as Jan Kevin Javier routed fellow local Aeyshaun Gomez, 6-1, 6-1, in the boys’ 18-and-U final of the event presented by Dunlop and supported by Universal Tennis and ICON Golf & Sports.
