Nadine Seno produced the tournament’s biggest breakthrough while Matthew Morris reaffirmed his growing stature as one of the country’s brightest junior prospects, emerging as the biggest winners in the Mandaue City Juniors Age Group Tennis Championships at the Mandaue City courts in Cebu on Sunday.
Coming off a winless campaign in the Cebu City leg of the three-stop Visayas swing of the Palawan Juniors Tennis Series, Seno made a stunning turnaround, sweeping two singles titles in emphatic fashion by toppling a pair of No. 1 seeds to headline the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.
The Bogo City standout first ruled the girls’ 14-and-under division, capping a dominant run with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 demolition of top seed and local ace Sabrina Aldeguer in the finals.
She then carried the same confidence into the tougher 16-and-U class, dispatching Trisha Nocum, 6-2, 6-3, in the semifinals before overpowering another top seed, Mitchellen Cruspero, 6-2, 6-2, to complete an impressive double-title romp.
It marked a remarkable bounce-back for Seno, who settled for semifinal finishes in both age categories in Cebu City just a week earlier. Her stellar response earned her a share of the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honors with Morris.
While Seno grabbed the spotlight with her breakthrough run, Morris continued to establish himself as the player to beat in boys’ competition.
The Dumaguete ace successfully defended his dominance in the 16-and-18-and-under divisions after pulling off the same feat in Cebu City, dropping just four games in two championship matches.
He overwhelmed doubles partner Jhunreal Espinosa, 6-0, 6-2, to capture the 16-and-U crown before repeating the identical scoreline against top seed Aaron Tabura to retain the premier 18-and-U title and complete another double championship sweep.
The Mandaue tournament capped the three-leg Visayas swing following stops in Naga City and Cebu City, extending the momentum of the nationwide Palawan Juniors Tennis Series, which came on the heels of the successful Mindanao circuit.
With Philippine tennis riding a wave of renewed enthusiasm following Alex Eala’s rise to world prominence, the series continues to provide aspiring young players with a vital platform to sharpen their skills, gain valuable match experience, earn ranking points and prepare for higher levels of competition.
Sanctioned by Philta and Universal Tennis Rating, the nationwide circuit is backed by ICON Golf & Sports, Dunlop and the Palawan Group of Companies. The program is spearheaded by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro, whose sustained commitment to grassroots tennis continues to create opportunities for young Filipino talents through professionally organized tournaments staged across the country.
Also emerging victorious in Mandaue were Andrio Estrella of Asturias, Cebu, Enzo Niere of Bogo City, Arianna Tiongko of Cebu City and Cruspero of Negros Oriental.
Estrella rallied from a set down to edge Madison Rago, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, for the boys’ 14-and-U title, while Niere also came from behind to defeat Dale Diamante, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, for the boys’ 12-and-U championship.
Tiongko outlasted Abby Castigador, 6-4, 7-6(5), to claim the girls’ 12-and-U crown, while Cruspero bounced back from her loss to Seno by dominating Juliana Tenepre, 6-2, 6-1, for the girls’ 18-and-U title.
Seno and Morris likewise completed triple-title campaigns in doubles.
Seno teamed up with Danica Diamante to rout Aldeguer and Alessandra Garcia, 8-3, for the girls’ 14-and-U doubles championship, while Morris and Espinosa defeated Patrick Rabaya and Tabura, 8-5, to capture the boys’ 18-and-U doubles title.
Cruspero and Donna Diamante claimed the girls’ 18-and-U doubles crown with an 8-5 victory over Tenepre and Molly Tan, while Niere and Timothy Sio beat Dale Diamante and Estrella, 8-4, for the boys’ 14-and-U doubles championship.
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