Venz Alforque took advantage of the familiar confines to cruise to easy victories that earned him two quarterfinal tickets in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Dagitab Festival regional tennis tournament yesterday at the Naga City Tennis Club in southern Cebu.
It is in the very same venue that Alforque, a native of Naga City, honed his skills, and the 16-year-old player didn’t disappoint the hometown crowd to advance to the quarterfinal round of the 16-under boys and 18-under boys divisions.
Displaying sizzling forehands and crisp backhands, Alforque handily defeated Robert Lamayo, 4-0, 4-0, in the the 16-under boys division.
Alforque will next take on the winner in the Raphael Merced-Leandry Albofera match which was still played as of press time.
Alforque also advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 18-under boys division, and this time without breaking a sweat after Rey Dante Toledo failed to show up.
Alforque will battle fellow Cebuano Norman Enriquez in today’s 18-under quarterfinal action.
Joining Alforque in the next round of the 18-under boys was Geiel Villaflor of Argao Cebu, who survived Herbert Sarraga, 5-3, 2-4, 10-7.