La Carlota City’s Alexa Milliam returns a shot in this contributed photo from the Palawan Pawnshop – Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis tournament.
Visiting netter shines
La Carlota City’s Alexa Milliam kept her composure in unfamiliar soil and walked away with four titles in the Palawan Pawnshop – Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Citigreen Leg yesterday at the Citigreen Tennis Resort in Punta Princesa, Cebu City.
The twelve-year-old Milliam, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, bagged the titles in the girls’ singles 12-under, girls’ singles 14-U, girls’ singles 16-U, and girl’s doubles 16-U divisions.
“I’m really happy I won. I was so excited to come here and play, but I didn’t expect to win,” Milliam said.
She broke the hearts of Cebuanos thrice in the finals as she defeated Carcar, Cebu’s Elizabeth Abarquez, 4-6, 6-3, 10-7, for the 16-U girls crown; Lapu-Lapu City’s Tiffany Nocos, 6-2, 6-3, for the 12-U title; and Lyrah Repollo, 6-1, 7-5, for the 14-U diadem.
She then teamed up with Repollo to down the pair of Hazel Coderos and Nicole Dela Rita 1-0 (ret.) for the doubles 16-U title.
Also in girls’ action, Carcar, Cebu’s Abarquez had to go tooth-and-nail with Coderos before coming through with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) triumph to grab the 16-U girls title.
Meanwhile, in boys’ play, Sal Andrei Lago from Sogod, Southern Leyte completed a twin kill after a 6-1, 6-1 win over Mitch Largo in the 12-U finals and a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Eric Longakit for the 14-U title.
The 12-year-old Lago had a chance of pulling off a three-title romp but he and his partner Cedric Bravo succumbed to the duo of Longakit and Largo, 8-7 (4), in the 14-U boys doubles finals.
Bacolod City’s Reynan Mahusay gave up two opportunities of winning a title after losing to Vhon Tudtud, 6-3, 6-2, in the 18-U finals and Vinz Lominoque, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in the 16-U championship round. Lapu-Lapu City’s Chad Cuizon survived Vincent Canete, 5-4 (3), 5-3, to rule the 10-unisex category.
In other games, Gio Manito and Aaron Tabura blew past Gabriel Tremocha and Kirby Ramacho, 8-0, to snatch the 10-unisex doubles plum while Cebu’s Marc Pradel and Francis Hidalgo escaped the tandem of Lominoque and Tudtud, 8-5, to snag the 18-U boys doubles tiara.